5. Conclusion

This article describes the availability of industrial waste heat, its potential for recovery via the thermocline storage solution, the materials studied for this type of storage, and an example of an industrial application. Optimizing the energy efficiency of industry, particularly energy-intensive industrial sectors, cannot be achieved without recovering the calories present in flue gases. This is where thermocline storage comes into its own. The first industrial applications of thermocline storage were in the ceramics sector. Extending this type of storage to other industrial waste heat deposits, which are more complex in terms of composition and properties, requires suitable, robust storage systems. To this end, work over the coming years will be of crucial importance, focusing on storage materials as well as those for the storage tank.