Woodside ups funding of SiBox demo project by $750,000

Woodside Energy Technologies has increased its funding of 1414 Degrees’ SiBox Demonstration Module (SDM) project by $750,000 to $2.75 million, with funding to be made on completion of specific milestones.

Thermal energy storage system manufacturer 1414 Degrees said in a statement on Monday that total grant funding for SDM is now $4.95 million, with $2.2 million of this from the federal government’s Modern Manufacturing Initiative.

SiBox is based on molten silicon, with the silicon able to store heat created by intermittent renewables and provide dispatchable power from this.

Commissioning of the unit was announced in August this year.

1414 Degrees told the ASX that the unit is now operating autonomously, “showcasing its flexibility to meet a range of industry needs by operating with constant flow rate at outlet temperatures ranging up to 900°C.”

The demonstration unit was able to provide a stable hot air stream for over six hours at 900°C and over 15 hours at 700°C, “drawing from both latent and sensible heat” in the patented “SiBrick” storage media. 

Chairman Dr Kevin Moriarty said, “Over the next 12 months, we anticipate that SiBox will emerge as a pivotal emissions solution for industrial sectors that manufacture the infrastructure of our societies and electricity generation.”

CTO Dr Mahesh Venkataraman added that, “We have now successfully completed a key milestone in the validation  of SiBox and will continue to test this technology for industrial applications.” 

Woodside Energy Technologies is a subsidiary of Woodside Energy. 

The two companies originally announced an agreement had been executed for up to $2 million support for SiBox in October 2021.

Picture: credit 1414 Degrees

Further reading

Woodside and 1414 degrees to develop silicon energy storage

1414 Degrees’ SiBox system milestone

1414 Degrees commissions molten silicon energy storage system