AED Energy pilots thermal battery demonstrator at Nigeria university

Trade Arabia

3 days ago

Aed Energy, a UK-based developer of next-generation thermal energy storage, has announced a new pilot project at Pan-Atlantic University (PAU) in Lagos, Nigeria, as part of ZE-Gen's international innovation programme.
Advancing practical solutions to displace fossil fuel generators, the programme supports Aed Energy's ambitions to accelerate clean energy access across weak-grid regions.
As one of six new ZE-Gen Demonstrator projects funded through Innovate UK, Aed Energy's pilot tackles a critical challenge: the widespread use of fossil fuel generators across education, healthcare, manufacturing, and remote infrastructure in energy-constrained markets.
Developed with PAU, a leading Lagos-based institution and a local clean energy integrator FaithLink Ltd, the project combines rooftop solar with Aed Energy's proprietary modular thermal battery. The system stores renewable electricity as high-temperature heat in energy dense composite bricks and delivers dispatchable power or industrial-grade heat for up to 24 hours, without lithium, combustion, or fragile supply chains.
Pan-Atlantic University's main campus consumes approximately 6,570 MWh of electricity annually - much of which is currently supplied by fossil fuel generators. When run on diesel, this equates to over 1.8 million litres per year - or the equivalent of filling nearly three-quarters of an Olympic swimming pool full of diesel, for one site alone.
Installed on site, Aed Energy's system marks the start of a shift from fossil fuel dependency to clean, dispatchable energy charged entirely by renewables. Its MWh-scale units are designed for rapid deployment across industrial sites, microgrids, and critical infrastructure where fossil fuel generators remain the default for primary energy supply.
This project is a strategic inflection point for Aed Energy - transitioning the technology from lab-scale development into a live operating environment. It validates the system under real-world conditions and lays the foundation for commercial rollout. As global energy users seek longer-duration alternatives to short-duration battery systems, this deployment will demonstrate how Aed Energy's platform can deliver clean, reliable baseload power where conventional batteries fall short.
The project is already driving positive economic and global impact. In the UK, it has created three new job roles, contributing to Aed Energy's growth plans to expand to 15 UK jobs by 2026 and more than 150 globally by 2030. In Nigeria, it is generating an estimated 10–15 local jobs during installation and commissioning.
Commenting on the success of the project, CEO of Aed Energy, Rayan Kassis said: 'The Pan Atlantic University Thermal Demonstrator project, funded by the ZE-Gen, is a first step toward proving that affordable, clean baseload energy can be delivered reliably - even in regions still heavily dependent on fossil fuel generators. It moves our technology out of the lab and into the field, showing what's possible when innovation is paired with local partnerships and real-world demand.'
'We're proud to be working with Pan-Atlantic University, FaithLink, ZE-Gen, and Innovate UK to deliver a solution that's not only practical, but scalable. This deployment lays the foundation for clean energy systems that serve critical institutions, power industrial growth, and open up new export opportunities for UK innovation.' – TradeArabia News Service