VIEWPOINT: Brenmiller Energy's CBO on Why Thermal Energy Storage is Critical to Nuclear's Second Act

USA Today

28-05-2025

Over the last few weeks, it's become increasingly clear that Europe is rethinking its long-held stance on nuclear power. Countries like Denmark, Germany, and Spain are pivoting from prior bans and phase-outs toward the reintegration of nuclear energy into their decarbonization agendas.
The May 27th CNBC report confirmed what many of us in the industry have been anticipating: energy independence and long-term grid stability are now taking priority over political resistance to legacy nuclear policies.
This isn't just a European trend. In the United States, the nuclear conversation is also heating up. Just last week, the Trump administration issued two executive orders to accelerate the development and deployment of nuclear energy infrastructure. One order clears regulatory red tape for advanced nuclear projects, while the other earmarks new federal support for the deployment of small modular reactors (SMRs) in rural and off-grid communities. Taken together, they signal a dramatic shift toward treating nuclear not as an ideological debate but as a national security and resilience imperative.
As Chief Business Officer of Brenmiller Energy, I view this shift not just as a reversal of prior sentiment but as a turning point for how the world will design and connect energy systems for the next generation. At the center of this new approach is flexibility – a trait nuclear energy alone doesn't possess. However, it can with thermal energy storage (TES) in its supporting cast.
The Flexibility Problem: Why Baseload Isn't Enough
Nuclear power excels in providing a consistent baseload of energy. But that strength becomes a liability in today's dynamic energy market. Grids increasingly require responsive assets that can ramp up or down in real time to match volatile demand curves shaped by solar and wind variability. This is where TES, particularly our bGen™ system, comes into play.
At Brenmiller Energy, we've long understood the strategic value of decoupling energy generation from energy consumption. Our thermal storage technology enables energy – whether from renewable sources or nuclear reactors – to be stored as heat and dispatched when needed, 24/7/365.
This unique service isn't theoretical. Our commercial partnerships and pilot projects, including with ENEL, the largest European energy provider by customer count, Tempo Beverage in Israel, Entelios in Germany, and others, has already proven the reliability and scalability of bGen™ for industrial energy users in a real-world setting. What ENEL saw in the flexible thermal application, and what many utilities are now beginning to understand, is that TES acts as a critical interface between legacy infrastructure and the demands of next-generation systems.
As Europe advances its green hydrogen and renewable integration targets, policymakers are finally confronting the hidden costs of intermittency and grid inflexibility. Nuclear offers dependable generation but not agility. That's where TES fills the gap. It manages the mismatches between supply and demand, mitigating the risks of repeating the very same rigidity issues that led to nuclear phase-outs in the first place.
From Concept to Commercial Readiness
Consider our recent milestone in Spain: the SolWinHy Cádiz project, an off-grid, green methanol production facility, secured €25 million in funding, with €7 million explicitly allocated to Brenmiller's bGen™ thermal storage. Why? Because in an island-mode operation that's disconnected from the national grid, energy flexibility isn't a luxury. It's a requirement.
That same logic applies to nuclear. Advanced nuclear reactors are smaller, modular, and more widely deployable. But without a load-following mechanism, they still suffer from the same mismatch between generation capacity and real-time grid needs. TES provides that mechanism.
And serving that need isn't a far-off vision. With over $40 million in deployable bGen™ infrastructure and a pipeline of global projects underway, Brenmiller Energy is uniquely positioned and able to meet this moment. We believe that with the right supporting technology, like bGen, the nuclear revival on both sides of the Atlantic doesn't need to clash with the renewable agenda. The two can – and must – work in tandem. However, this will only happen with enabling technologies like TES, which can seamlessly connect these assets into a cohesive, responsive, and resilient energy network.
At Brenmiller Energy, we're not just watching the shift – we're helping to power it. As policy evolves, so too must infrastructure. Nuclear energy without flexibility is a missed opportunity. The most excellent news during nuclear's second chance is that legacy rigidity is no longer a concern. With bGen TES technology included to complement, nuclear gets a foundational building block of the new energy economy.
And as we've demonstrated with ENEL, SolWinHy, Tempo Beverage, and others, we're not just theorizing; we're putting our innovative assets into practice. We're proud to say that, as of now, we're the only known TES provider who can.
By Doron Brenmiller
Chief Business Officer, Brenmiller Energy (NASDAQ:BNRG)
About bGen™
bGen™ ZERO is Brenmiller's TES system, which converts electricity into heat to power sustainable industrial processes at a price that is competitive with natural gas. The bGen™ ZERO charges by capturing low-cost electricity from renewables or the grid and stores it in crushed rocks. It then discharges steam, hot water, or hot air on demand according to customer requirements. The bGen™ ZERO also supports the development of utility-scale renewables by providing critical flexibility and grid-balancing capabilities. bGen™ ZERO was named among TIME's Best Inventions of 2023 in the Green Energy category and won Gold in the Energy Storage and Management category at the 2025 Edison Awards.
About Brenmiller Energy Ltd.
Brenmiller Energy helps energy-intensive industries and power producers end their reliance on fossil fuel boilers. Brenmiller's patented bGen™ ZERO thermal battery is a modular and scalable energy storage system that turns renewable electricity into zero-emission heat. It charges using low-cost renewable electricity and discharges a continuous supply of heat on demand and according to its customers' needs. The most experienced thermal battery developer on the market, Brenmiller operates the world's only gigafactory for thermal battery production and is trusted by leading multinational energy companies. For more information visit the Company's website at https://bren-energy.com/ and follow the company on X and LinkedIn.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains 'forward-looking statements' within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other federal securities laws. Statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. For example, the company is using forward-looking statements in this press release when it discusses: that the Company's bGen™ system installation at Purchase College will reduce 550 metric tons of CO2 emissions annually; that TES modularity enables flexible and efficient deployment across diverse infrastructure; and that as more public entities prioritize net-zero transitions, scalable and proven solutions like our bGen™ can provide a suitable solution. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, words such as 'plan,' 'project,' 'potential,' 'seek,' 'may,' 'will,' 'expect,' 'believe,' 'anticipate,' 'intend,' 'could,' 'estimate' or 'continue' are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned that certain crucial factors may affect the company's actual results and could cause such results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements that may be made in this press release. Factors that may affect the Company's results include, but are not limited to: the company's planned level of revenues and capital expenditures; risks associated with the adequacy of existing cash resources; the demand for and market acceptance of our products; impact of competitive products and prices; product development, commercialization or technological difficulties; the success or failure of negotiations; trade, legal, social and economic risks; and political, economic and military instability in the Middle East, specifically in Israel. The forward-looking statements contained or implied in this press release are subject to other risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the control of the company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the company's Annual Report on Form 20-F for the year ended December 31, 2024 filed with the SEC on March 4, 2025, which is available on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.
Contact:
[e-mail]
SOURCE: Brenmiller Energy
View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire