[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ next_background_color=”#ffffff” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” background_enable_image=”off” min_height=”360px” custom_padding=”83px||104px|||” bottom_divider_style=”curve2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_post_title meta=”off” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” title_font=”–et_global_heading_font||||||||” title_text_color=”#0B3948″ hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_post_title][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”35px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”32px||42px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
\n
\n
<\/span>Antora and Pratt Energy Announce Nearly 6 Gigawatt-Hour Thermal Energy Storage Project to Deliver A<\/b>ffordable Energy and Strengthen Kansas Economy <\/b><\/b><\/p>\n Calgren\u2019s sister facility, Pratt Energy, is taking a significant step toward lower-carbon ethanol production.\u00a0 <\/em>The project, backed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners and Grok Ventures, will create high-quality jobs, provide workforce training, and deliver lasting community bene<\/i>fits to Pratt County, Kansas. <\/i><\/i><\/p>\n PRATT, KS \u2014 October 1, 2026 <\/b>\u2014 Antora Energy, a leading U.S. energy storage company, today announced a 5.8 gigawatt-hour, multi-day thermal energy storage project<\/a> at Pratt Energy’s biorefinery in Pratt, Kansas. Once complete, the project will be one of the largest battery storage systems in the world and deliver affordable, reliable energy to Pratt Energy\u2019s facility, creating jobs and strengthening the local economy.<\/p>\n Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), a global fund manager and leading investor in energy infrastructure, <\/span>led the project\u2019s third-party equity financing as part of its credit platform investments. Australian investment firm Grok Ventures and University Pension Plan Ontario (UPP) also participated.<\/p>\n Antora\u2019s thermal batteries help meet Kansas’s rising energy demand using locally produced energy, without increasing power bills for homes or businesses. The project is expected to use little additional water beyond the biorefinery’s existing operations and operate without increasing noise levels for neighboring properties. The project is expected to create and support over 100 construction and operations jobs.<\/p>\n This deployment is the second major thermal energy storage project Antora has announced this year, following the company\u2019s commissioning of a 5 gigawatt-hour system <\/span>in Big Stone City, South Dakota. Starting next year, Antora will deliver competitively priced, around-the-clock energy to Pratt Energy under a long-term heat offtake agreement. That locally produced energy will make Pratt’s operations more efficient and its products more competitive. The project will also help Pratt Energy pave the way towards producing 100% zero-carbon-intensity (CI) ethanol, opening new markets for Kansas agricultural products.<\/p>\n \n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb content_max_width=”980px” content_max_width_tablet=”980px” content_max_width_phone=”980px” content_max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”–et_global_body_font|500|on||||||” body_text_align=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cAmerican industry runs on affordable, reliable energy,\u201d shared David Bierman, co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer of Antora. \u201cOur partnership with Pratt Energy delivers it, helping meet Kansas\u2019s 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb content_max_width=”980px” content_max_width_tablet=”980px” content_max_width_phone=”980px” content_max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”–et_global_body_font|500|on||||||” body_text_align=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cAntora has demonstrated something rare: proven technology, compelling economic fundamentals, and a clear path to repeatable deployment at massive scale. That gave us the conviction to partner with Antora on this project,\u201d said Reiner Boehning, Partner at Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners. \u201cInvestments 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.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb content_max_width=”980px” content_max_width_tablet=”980px” content_max_width_phone=”980px” content_max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”–et_global_body_font|500|on||||||” body_text_align=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cReliable energy is the foundation of everything we do, and this project lays that foundation for decades to come,\u201d said Travis Lane, CEO<\/a> of Calgren and Pratt Energy. \u201cIt means more jobs across the Pratt community, new opportunities for our students, and strengthened demand for the corn and sorghum our neighbors grow. It\u2019s not just an investment in Pratt Energy\u2014it\u2019s an investment in Pratt, Kansas, and everyone who calls it home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n 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. 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.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”32px||35px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”Investing in the Pratt Community” _builder_version=”4.27.9″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Antora has partnered with Pratt Community College on a paid internship program that gives local students hands-on experience with advanced energy and electrical systems. This program is already delivering benefits: two students from the College’s Electrical Powerline Technology program spent this summer working on Antora’s Big Stone project in South Dakota, gaining experience with the same technology now coming to their hometown. Antora will prioritize local candidates as it hires for the plant’s permanent operations roles. 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 as they pursue post-secondary education in energy, engineering, and the skilled trades. Antora is also establishing the Pratt Community Impact Fund, which will provide grants to projects and programs serving Pratt County beginning in 2027. The fund will be administered by SCCF, with grant decisions made by Pratt County community members.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_blurb content_max_width=”980px” content_max_width_tablet=”980px” content_max_width_phone=”980px” content_max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”–et_global_body_font|500|on||||||” body_text_align=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cAntora came to Pratt early, listened, and followed through on their commitments: local hiring, internships, and scholarships for our students,\u201d said Kyle Farmer, Mayor of Pratt and a teacher at Pratt High School. \u201cThis project brings affordable energy to one of our key employers and ensures steady demand for the grain our farmers produce. We’re proud to welcome Antora to our community.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_blurb content_max_width=”980px” content_max_width_tablet=”980px” content_max_width_phone=”980px” content_max_width_last_edited=”on|desktop” _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” body_font=”–et_global_body_font|500|on||||||” body_text_align=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing what Antora has done for the community in Big Stone and bringing that back to Kansas is really exciting,\u201d said Kaleb Reagle, a recent Pratt Community College graduate who interned at Antora’s Big Stone project this summer and is now a full-time technician at Antora. \u201cThis feels like giving back to the community that raised me. There are students at Pratt right now who were in my spot just a few months ago, and I can’t wait to see what this project opens up for them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_blurb][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”35px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_heading title=”About Antora Energy” _builder_version=”4.27.9″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Antora\u2019s thermal batteries turn low-cost electricity into always-on heat and power, without supply-constrained critical minerals or multi-year construction timelines. Antora is committed to strengthening American manufacturing, and its San Jose, California factory ranks among the country\u2019s largest battery gigafactories. To learn more about Antora, visit www.antora.com<\/a> and follow the company on LinkedIn. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”About Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners” _builder_version=”4.27.9″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.5″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Founded in 2012, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners P\/S (CIP) is a global fund manager and leading investor in energy infrastructure. CIP builds value that matters by developing and constructing critical infrastructure projects that shape the future of energy. Through its funds, CIP invests in power generation, energy storage, transmission and distribution, advanced bioenergy, low-carbon fuels and carbon capture. With 15 funds currently under management, CIP is trusted by over 200 of the world\u2019s largest and most sophisticated institutions, having raised USD ~49 billion to date. CIP has projects in more than 30 countries, with presence on the ground through a network of 2,300+ professionals. For more information, visit www.cip.com<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”About Pratt Energy” _builder_version=”4.27.9″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.9″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Pratt Energy, Calgren’s sister facility in Pratt, KS, is a biorefinery producing ethanol for transportation fuel and valuable co-products used for biodiesel and animal feed. In operation since 2013, Pratt Energy processes regionally grown corn and sorghum into clean-burning ethanol, helping reduce emissions while supporting Kansas farmers and rural economies. Pratt Energy is committed to continuous improvement in operational efficiencies and always exploring opportunities to reduce the carbon footprint of its products. For more information, visit www.prattenergy.com<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_heading title=”About Grok Ventures” _builder_version=”4.27.9″ _module_preset=”default” title_level=”h2″ global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_heading][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.9″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n