GrafTech and Antora Collaborate on Carbon-Based Thermal Battery Production
GrafTech International has partnered with Antora Energy to produce carbon-based materials for thermal batteries at GrafTech's St. Marys facility in Pennsylvania. The collaboration aims to enhance domestic energy technology manufacturing by utilizing lower-purity carbon feedstocks processed through high-temperature furnaces. GrafTech is restarting eight bake furnaces and hiring additional staff, signaling a significant operational expansion. Antora’s thermal battery system stores electricity as heat using solid carbon blocks and can be deployed in various sectors including chemicals, food production, steel, data centers, or the grid. The partnership aligns with growing demand for energy storage solutions that leverage byproducts from US petroleum and coal industries. GrafTech CEO Timothy Flanagan emphasized the strategic value of diversifying markets while supporting domestic supply chains. Antora recently secured $550 million in Series C funding to scale its thermal battery systems, further positioning this collaboration as a key step toward expanding energy storage capabilities across the United States.
Topics: Carbon Materials Domestic Manufacturing Energy Storage Thermal Batteries