GEA is investing twelve million euros in the British company Caldera. Caldera has developed electric Storage Boilers that can store electricity in the form of heat that can be extracted on demand. The product is suitable for a wide area of applications. GEA sees it as an important element within holistic concepts for decarbonizing process heat demand between 100 and 200°C, which is typical for many industrial processes.
GEA combines its process and heating expertise to develop systems to reduce energy consumption, reuse energy and upcycle waste heat streams in customer sites. Heat pumps are a key enabler for the decarbonization of process heating in industries such as food manufacturing, dairy production, breweries, distilleries and the pharmaceutical sector.
By combining GEA’s heating solutions with Caldera’s innovative storage boilers, it is possible to offer an affordable and reliable way of providing industrial customers with all-electric – and therefore low-carbon – heat. A combined system joins the benefits of a highly efficient heat pump with the flexibility and fast response time of a storage boiler. This allows for the efficient decarbonization of steam networks with varying demand profiles that are typical across a broad range of industries.
“We are seeing major benefits in electrification and using thermal storage to deal with supply and demand volatility in generating heat throughout our end-markets. At GEA, we are committed to leading this transition. That’s why we have invested into Caldera,” says Kai Becker, CEO of GEA’s Heating & Refrigeration Technologies Division. Becker continues: “Caldera’s storage boiler is a milestone. It bridges the gap between variable renewable electricity generation and industrial process heat demand and offers a scalable, economically viable alternative to fossil fuel boilers.” Kai Becker concludes: “Caldera storage boilers in combination with GEA heat pumps are ideally suited to decarbonize fluctuating industrial heat demand between 100 and 200°C. With GEA’s global reach, process and industrial heating expertise, we can accelerate the deployment of such complementary solutions to industries worldwide.”
“The investment from GEA is a game-changing opportunity for our company and a strong endorsement of our technology,” says James Macnaghten, CEO of Caldera. “Having just started to sign early orders we know that we are on the right track. I believe that working with GEA and especially leveraging GEA’s vast experience will help deploy our Storage Boilers into even more companies such as breweries, distilleries, the dairy industry as well as the food and pharmaceutical industries, with the ultimate goal of reducing carbon emissions for the benefit of all,” Macnaghten concludes.
Caldera
Caldera is a British manufacturer transforming how industry generates heat. Founded in 2017 and based in Hampshire, the company has developed a novel electric Storage Boiler that converts renewable electricity into clean, on-demand heat for industrial applications.
Caldera’s system uses a thermal storage material made from volcanic rock and recycled aluminium, insulated using a proprietary vacuum technology to retain heat for extended periods.
The solution enables industrial users—such as brewers, distillers, food processors, and pharmaceutical manufacturers—to replace fossil-fuel boilers with a cost-effective, low-carbon alternative. With growing international interest, Caldera is now scaling up, manufacturing and deploying systems across the UK and Europe.