Rio Tinto and Rondo Energy Break Ground on Australia's Largest Thermal Energy Storage Project at Gladstone

## Rio Tinto and Rondo Energy Advance Major Thermal Storage Project at Gladstone Rio Tinto and US-based clean energy technology company Rondo Energy have entered the front-end engineering and design (FEED) phase of what is set to become Australia's largest thermal energy storage project, located in Gladstone, Queensland — one of the country's most strategically significant bulk commodity export ports. According to a joint announcement issued via PR Newswire on 20 October 2026, the project centres on the deployment of a Rondo Heat Battery with a capacity of 360 MWh of storage and a 30 MW discharge rate. The initiative is supported by grant funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), underscoring the federal government's commitment to accelerating industrial decarbonisation. ### Significance for the Gladstone Industrial Precinct Gladstone is home to one of Australia's busiest multi-commodity export terminals, handling alumina, aluminium, coal, and liquefied natural gas (LNG). Rio Tinto operates the Queensland Alumina Limited (QAL) refinery in the region — one of the largest alumina refineries in the world — which is a major consumer of high-temperature industrial heat, traditionally supplied by fossil fuels. The Rondo Heat Battery technology converts renewable electricity into stored heat at temperatures exceeding 1,500°C, which can then be discharged as continuous, high-temperature process heat. For energy-intensive industries such as alumina refining, this represents a viable pathway to replacing gas-fired heating with renewable alternatives, potentially delivering substantial reductions in both carbon emissions and long-term energy costs. ### Industrial Decarbonisation at Scale The FEED phase will refine technical specifications, cost estimates, and project timelines ahead of a final investment decision. Completion of this stage is a critical milestone that typically precedes full project sanctioning and construction commencement. The project's scale — 360 MWh — positions it as a landmark demonstration of thermal energy storage technology applied to heavy industry in the Asia-Pacific region. If successfully deployed, it could serve as a replicable model for other resource and port-adjacent industrial facilities seeking to meet tightening emissions targets under Australia's Safeguard Mechanism reforms. ### Broader Maritime and Trade Implications For the maritime sector, the decarbonisation of port-adjacent industrial facilities such as alumina refineries carries direct relevance. Cleaner production processes support the long-term competitiveness of Australian commodity exports, which underpin significant bulk carrier trade flows throughout the Indo-Pacific. Shipping lines and port operators serving Gladstone will be watching the project's progress closely as part of broader supply chain sustainability assessments. No timeline for construction commencement or project completion has been publicly confirmed at this stage, pending outcomes of the FEED process.