An Israeli green energy firm has received approval from the Finance Ministry to provide a Holon-based hospital with electric process heat, effectively replacing the current natural gas-fueled steam boilers. This transition is projected to significantly reduce the hospital's local carbon emissions by 3,900 tons annually.
Brenmiller announced that the ministry has greenlit a budget of NIS 14 million for Wolfson Medical Center. This allocation will facilitate the procurement of Brenmiller's TES equipment and implement a vGen ZERO thermal energy storage system.
By harnessing electricity from the grid during periods of low pricing throughout the day, the hospital will be equipped to store this energy and deploy it during high demand. As a result, according to the company, the system should save Wolfson as much as $1.3 million a year.
Making clean energy on demand
"Brenmiller's approval to move forward with an agreement with Wolfson is a great example of how novel, clean energy technologies have the potential to meet the demanding needs of critical, large-scale facilities like hospitals," said Brenmiller Energy chairman and CEO Avi Brenmiller.
The bGen ZERO utilizes crushed rocks to store energy in the form of heat and dispatches low-cost steam, hot water, or hot air on demand.
The final agreement is being prepared and expected to be signed by the end of the year. It is anticipated that Brenmiller will deliver its technology and supply heat to Wolfson Medical Center at zero up-front cost through an agreement for a seven-year term.
"We're very pleased to receive this final approval from the Israeli Finance Ministry and move forward towards an agreement between Wolfson and Brenmiller to be able to deliver to Wolfson Medical Center – its doctors and nurses, staff and administrators, and patients – clean, and reliable power," Brenmiller said.
Wolfson added, “We are proud and excited to be the first to lead the Health Ministry's pilot program. Sustainability and the quality of the environment have always been important to us.”