Antora and Pratt Energy to build 5.8 GWh thermal battery in Kansas

Antora Energy has a deal to deliver a 5.8 GWh, multi-day thermal energy storage project for Pratt Energy in Kansas. It is the second major thermal battery project announced by Antora in 2026.

The agreement will see Antora Energy’s thermal energy storage deployed at Pratt Energy’s biorefinery in Pratt, Kansas. Antora will deliver energy to Pratt Energy under a long-term heat offtake agreement.

Pratt Energy said the project will support its decarbonization goals for the site, which produces ethanol for transportation fuel. The refiner is aiming to produce 100% zero-carbon-intensity (CI) ethanol in the future, potentially opening new markets for its products.

Global fund manager Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) led third-party equity financing on the thermal battery project, while Australian investment firm Grok Ventures and University Pension Plan Ontario also participated.

The announcement follows a successful Series C fundraising round for Antora which saw the US manufacturer raise $550 million. The company now plans to establish a second domestic manufacturing facility

Antora’s thermal batteries work by storing electricity as heat in insulated blocks of solid carbon. The manufacturer commissioned a 50 MW/5 GWh in South Dakota in May, supplied by batteries built at it factory in San Jose, California. Expansion work at the San Jose site in spring 2026 saw Antora add two new facilities, doubling manufacturing capacity.

The project with Pratt Energy is expected to create more than 100 construction and operation jobs, and Antora Energy has said its thermal batteries will help meet Kansas’s rising energy demand while using little additional water beyond the biorefinery’s existing operations.

David Bierman, co-founder and chief commercial officer at Antora, said the biorefinery project would spur local investment without straining local resources.

“Antora has demonstrated something rare: sound technology, compelling economic fundamentals, and a clear path to repeatable deployment at scale.” Bierman said.

Antora has also partnered with Pratt Community College on a paid internship program offering local students hands-on experience of energy and electrical systems, and the company said it will prioritize local candidates as it hires for the plant’s permanent operations roles.