Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems (ATS) offers a simple, safe and reliable solution to transform industrial waste heat into electricity for use in hard to abate industries, with the potential to save gigatonnes of CO2.
Waste heat is everywhere. Globally, of the energy used to power the industries that the world needs such as cement and steel, approximately 60% is simply lost as waste heat. This wasted heat is the equivalent of the energy used by 4 billion homes, twice the number of homes that are on the planet. It is a huge cost economically and environmentally.
In the USA, industrial activities account for 32% of the country’s total energy consumption and urgently need to cut CO2 emissions.
In 2022, the energy intensity of the cement sector reached 100 kWh per tonne, with fossil fuels as the primary source of thermal energy. Globally, iron and steel manufacturing consumes 8% of total energy demand, contributing to 2.6 billion tonnes (gigatonnes) of CO2 emissions annually. For context, a round-trip flight from London to Denver, Colorado, emits about 3 tonnes of CO2.
Addressing the emissions from these industries and finding ways to capture and productively use the vast amounts of industrial waste heat are critical steps in the fight against climate change.
Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems (ATS) has developed a simple, safe, and scalable technology to capture waste heat and convert it into electricity, offering a game-changing solution for heavy industries like cement and steel production. These industries require extremely high temperatures, which generate vast amounts of waste heat that is typically lost. While traditional heat capture methods rely on turbines to generate electricity, they also increase risks in already complex industrial environments, which deters many companies from adopting them.
ATS’s approach is different. Their compact, container-sized units can easily be integrated into existing industrial plants. The technology converts waste heat into electricity by passing it over small, smartphone-sized plates with no moving parts. It can also harvest lower temperature levels of heat and generate electricity from any heat source, including geothermal energy. The plates are manufactured using a smartphone-style assembly process, making them easy to scale, transport, and install anywhere in the world.
ATS initially worked on advance material science for solar energy, but after discovering their panels could generate power even without sunlight—simply by capturing ambient heat—they pivoted to thermovoltaics. The breakthrough came when a solar panel left plugged in overnight in the lab continued to produce electricity.
For their first successful pilot, ATS partnered with a leading cement company to tackle emissions in this hard-to-abate sector. Their patented solution is also 98% circular, with components that can be reused, and cartridges that can be replaced as needed.
Kelly Adams, CEO, Advanced Thermovoltaic Systems
The market potential for ATS’s technology is enormous, with the ability to transform energy use in heavy industries worldwide. ATS is focused on scaling up their production, which will require larger manufacturing facilities. They also have plans to develop multiple generations of their technology to continually improve efficiency.
As the technology evolves, ATS expects to be operational in over 100 industrial facilities and save 3.5 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030. ATS’s impact will grow to 100 million tonnes by 2040 and one gigatonne by 2050.
