Antora 5.8 GWh Thermal Battery Project in Pratt, Kansas
October 6, 2026 — Antora Energy announced a 5.8 gigawatt-hour (GWh) multi-day thermal energy storage project at Pratt Energy‘s biorefinery in Pratt, Kansas. Antora will supply heat under a long-term offtake agreement starting in 2027. Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners led third-party equity financing, with Grok Ventures and University Pension Plan Ontario also participating.
Key Takeaways
- Antora Energy announced a 5.8 GWh multi-day thermal energy storage project at Pratt Energy’s biorefinery in Pratt, Kansas, on October 1, 2026.
- Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners led the project’s third-party equity financing as part of its credit platform investments, with Grok Ventures and University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP) also participating, according to Antora.
- Antora will deliver heat to Pratt Energy under a long-term heat offtake agreement starting in 2027, and the project is expected to create and support over 100 construction and operations jobs, according to the company.
- Antora’s thermal batteries store low-cost electricity as heat in insulated blocks of solid carbon and deliver it around the clock as heat or power, per the company’s description.
- The project is Antora’s second major announcement of 2026, following its commissioning of a 5 GWh system in Big Stone City, South Dakota.
What Antora and Pratt Energy Announced
Antora Energy, a U.S. energy storage company, announced on October 1, 2026, a 5.8 GWh multi-day thermal energy storage project at Pratt Energy’s biorefinery in Pratt, Kansas. Antora describes the project as one of the world’s largest battery storage systems once complete, though the release does not provide a basis for that claim. The system will supply energy to Pratt Energy’s facility under a long-term heat offtake agreement, with deliveries starting next year (2027), according to Antora. Antora says the energy will make Pratt’s operations more efficient and its products more competitive, and will help Pratt Energy move toward producing 100% zero-carbon-intensity (CI) ethanol. Antora also says this would open new markets for Kansas agricultural products. The release does not state the system’s power output (MW), contract price, or term length.
How Antora’s Thermal Batteries Works
Antora says its thermal batteries store low-cost electricity as heat in insulated blocks of solid carbon and deliver it around the clock as heat or power. The company states that the same factory-built modules can serve a chemical plant, a food producer, a steelmaker or the grid, without supply-constrained critical minerals or multi-year construction timelines. These characteristics are company claims and were not independently verified in the release.
Financing: CIP leads, Grok Ventures and UPP Participate
According to Antora, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a global fund manager and investor in energy infrastructure, led the project’s third-party equity financing as part of its credit platform investments. Australian investment firm Grok Ventures and University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP) also participated, per the release. The release does not disclose the financing amount, project cost or equity structure. Reiner Boehning, Partner at CIP, said the investment reflects confidence in Antora’s technology and its ability to scale.
Follows Antora’s 5 GWh Big Stone City System
Antora says the Pratt deployment is its second major project announced this year, following the company’s commissioning of a 5 GWh system in Big Stone City, South Dakota, according to the release. The Pratt project is 5.8 GWh, about 0.8 GWh larger than the Big Stone system, based on the figures Antora supplied. Boehning cited Antora’s “clear path to repeatable deployment at scale” as a factor in CIP’s decision to invest.
Local Jobs, Training and Community Funding in Pratt County
Antora says the project will create and support more than 100 construction and operations jobs and prioritize local candidates for the plant’s permanent operations roles. The company has partnered with Pratt Community College on a paid internship program. According to Antora, two students from the college’s Electrical Powerline Technology program worked on the Big Stone project in South Dakota this summer. Through a partnership with the South Central Community Foundation (SCCF), Antora is funding an energy scholarship program that will support up to 12 Pratt students over three years. Antora is also establishing the Pratt Community Impact Fund, which will provide grants to projects and programs serving Pratt County beginning in 2027. SCCF will administer the fund, and Pratt County community members will make the grant decisions, per the release.
Water, noise and power bills
Antora states that the project is expected to use little additional water beyond the biorefinery’s existing operations and to operate without increasing noise levels for neighboring properties. The company also says its thermal batteries help meet Kansas’s rising energy demand using locally produced energy without increasing power bills for homes or businesses.
“American industry runs on affordable, reliable energy,” shared David Bierman, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Antora. “Our partnership with Pratt Energy delivers it, helping meet Kansas’s rising energy demand without increasing power bills for homes or businesses. This biorefinery project is creating jobs and spurring local investment without straining the resources the community depends on.”
“Antora has demonstrated something rare: sound technology, compelling economic fundamentals, and a clear path to repeatable deployment at scale. That gave us the conviction to partner with Antora on this project,” said Reiner Boehning, Partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. “Investments like this one provide the energy infrastructure American industry depends on, while delivering real and lasting benefits to the rural communities where these projects are built.”
“Reliable energy is the foundation of everything we do, and this project lays that foundation for decades to come,” said Travis Lane, CEO of Pratt Energy. “It means more jobs across the Pratt community, new opportunities for our students, and strengthened demand for the corn and sorghum our neighbors grow. It’s not just an investment in Pratt Energy—it’s an investment in Pratt, Kansas, and everyone who calls it home.”
Source: Antora
I'm Amelia Bonner, an energy storage researcher and technical content writer focused on the technologies shaping the future of reliable, flexible, and sustainable energy systems. My work explores battery energy storage, grid-scale storage, renewable energy integration, battery technologies, and emerging energy storage solutions.
