“GlassPoint has deployed more than half of all the solar steam for industry in the world, and the company has been reliably producing solar steam for over a decade”, Rod MacGregor, CEO, GlassPoint.

AL Circle: Can you provide an overview of GlassPoint's enclosed trough technology and how it harnesses sunshine to produce steam for industrial applications?

Rod MacGregor: GlassPoint’s enclosed trough systems place mirrors inside a “clean room” enclosure – protecting them from dust and dirt. During the day, the mirrors focus sunlight on pipes that contain water or molten salts. The water is converted into steam and used for industrial applications; the hot molten salt is saved in a tank to generate steam at night or when the sun isn’t shining. 

AL Circle: What inspired the development of this technology, especially its focus on addressing the needs of industrial users in remote and harsh environments?

Rod MacGregor: Net-zero commitments have become commonplace across every industry. Investors and stakeholders demand climate action, and governments increasingly require or incentivise it. As part of this movement, we saw a gigantic opportunity to decarbonise the production of materials essential to the energy transition, such as aluminium used in electric vehicles. Moreover, according to the IEA, 26% of all energy used on the planet is in the form of industrial heat, but there are few clean alternatives for those companies. Many of those industrial companies operate in remote and harsh environments – such as our project with Saudi Arabian mining champion Ma’aden or our oil & gas deployments in desert locations facing intensive sandstorms. These giant, underserved markets require hardy solutions to do the job.

AL Circle: How has GlassPoint's enclosed trough technology been deployed at scale in projects in California and the Middle East? Can you share specific examples of successful implementations? What challenges were addressed in these deployments, particularly in remote and harsh environments?

Rod MacGregor: GlassPoint has deployed more than half of all the solar steam for industry in the world, and the company has been reliably producing solar steam for over a decade. That includes the world's largest solar industrial process heat project—the 340MWth Miraah project in Oman that continues to operate today.

GlassPoint's first enclosed system was deployed in 2011 in California. The system was followed by the deployments of Amal 1 in Oman, Miraah in Oman, and Amal 2 in Oman.

When we first began designing the GlassPoint system, we ran into challenges reinforcing our mirrors against wind and keeping them clean for optimal operation. After many attempts, we designed the enclosed trough system that eliminates exposure to the elements with a greenhouse structure that has been perfected over decades. By protecting the mirrors, we ensure optical efficiency, can also use lower-weight material, and reduce costs around reinforcing the mirrors. We also added a robotic cleaning system that cleans the glasshouse enclosure regularly to ensure optimal operation.

AL Circle: How does GlassPoint's technology contribute to reducing carbon emissions, and what is the significance of achieving up to an 80% reduction in emissions? Can you elaborate on the immediate impact of carbon emissions without disrupting existing industrial operations?

Rod MacGregor: The vast majority of industrial facilities are burning carbon-intensive fuels like gas or coal to create steam. We replace that fuel with solar, amounting to an immediate reduction in emissions by up to 80%. Our heat storage system enables around-the-clock support, essential for industrial operations.

AL Circle: How does GlassPoint ensure that the steam specifications match those of fossil-fired steam generators, minimizing the impact on daily operations?

Rod MacGregor: Our flexible solution can integrate with an array of other fuel sources to match existing operations, dialling the solar fraction up or down as needed.

AL Circle: Considering the current state of electric utility grids, why should industries adopt GlassPoint's solar steam production instead of switching to grid power for steam production? How does GlassPoint's technology provide a pathway to 100% decarbonization, especially with the thermal storage system that can be charged both thermally and electrically?

Rod MacGregor: There are two reasons that the industry has not electrified process heat. The first is that it costs far too much. Depending on the country, grid electricity costs between six and ten times more than purchasing fuel to burn in a boiler. Secondly, electrification doesn’t actually reduce emissions. Most grids emit 400 grams of CO2 per kWh of electricity generated, whereas burning gas to create steam emits less than 200 grams of CO2. In other words, using grid power to generate industrial process steam will actually double emissions. Of course, over time, the carbon intensity of the grid will decline, but even if the grid reduces carbon emissions by 50% more than today, it will still be no better than burning fuel locally. The industry needs a more cost-effective solution that decarbonizes steam production today, not decades in the future.

The GlassPoint unify storage system allows industrial users to integrate all available renewable energy sources. It can be charged directly from the sun, renewable electricity sources like wind and solar, or by burning biomass or Hydrogen. GlassPoint provides multiple pathways for customers to achieve their net-zero vision. 

AL Circle: With the World's Biggest Solar Thermal Plant planned in Saudi Arabia, what are the expectations for the future of solar steam production in the region and globally?

Rod MacGregor: In October 2023, GlassPoint announced our partnership with the Ministry of Investment of Saudi Arabia to build a manufacturing facility and technology showcase in the Eastern Province. Technology manufactured in the facility will be used for projects in the metals & mining, building materials, and additional industrial sectors – including GlassPoint’s planned project in the region with Ma’aden. With abundant sunshine and decarbonization as critical priorities, the Middle East is shaping to be an ideal market for solar thermal technologies. We look forward to having more to tell you about projects in the region soon!

Globally, industrial process heat is a $444B market that will only continue to grow in the coming years as businesses must fulfil ambitious sustainability commitments. GlassPoint is the only solution proven at scale to decarbonize this enormous market. It’s a massive opportunity for our company, the region and the planet.