Antora Energy and POET have commissioned a 5 gigawatt-hour thermal energy storage system at POET's Big Stone City, South Dakota bioprocessing facility, according to a press release statement.

The project, which advanced from construction to energy delivery in under 12 months, deploys over 200 of Antora's thermal batteries to provide energy for POET's bioethanol production operations. The system will be fully operational later this year.

POET, which describes itself as the world's largest biofuels producer, will receive energy under a long-term heat offtake agreement. The facility processes corn into bioethanol and other bioproducts.

Antora's thermal batteries store electricity as heat in carbon blocks and can deliver energy around the clock. The batteries are manufactured at Antora's facility in San Jose, California.

The project created over 300 manufacturing and construction jobs in South Dakota and California, according to the companies. Grok Ventures provided project-level financing as the sole external investor.

Otter Tail Power Company (NASDAQ: OTTR) worked with the companies to develop an electric rate structure approved by the South Dakota Public Utilities Commission. The rate allows the system to charge during periods of surplus energy production.

"POET is dedicated to supplying the world with affordable, American-made biofuels and bioproducts," said Jeff Broin, POET's founder and CEO.

The U.S. Department of Energy provided early research and development funding for Antora's technology during the previous Trump administration, which the company states has since attracted hundreds of millions in private investment.