
The 3,000-Year-Old Battery Replacing Industrial Gas | Cache Energy
From Climate CEOs: Scaling Startups by Dr. Chris Wedding — Climate Tech CEO Coach | CEO @ EFI
May 26, 2026 · 42 min
About this episode
Arpit Dwivedi discusses Cache Energy's innovative limestone battery technology for industrial heat storage and its impact on decarbonization.
This limestone battery can achieve 100+ hour heat storage without lithium and zero standby losses. Industrial heat is a $1T+ problem, but most solutions ignore storage, especially those using ancient chemistry. Arpit Dwivedi is the founder and CEO of Cache Energy , building thermal storage systems for industrial decarbonization. Cache uses calcium oxide chemistry to store and release heat, targeting sub-1,000°F processes that represent ~75% of global industrial demand , with modular systems designed for rapid deployment and low cost. Here’s what we discussed: Unit economics anchored in materials, not breakthroughs – Limestone feedstock at <$500/ton, 95% off-the-shelf hardware, and a small proprietary binder that enables pellet durability and repeat cycling without degradation typical of lime powders Operational performance that mimics baseload fuel – 100+ hour discharge with effectively zero standby losses over 6–9 months, allowing customers to arbitrage cheap off-peak electricity into constant, gas-like heat output Deployment speed as wedge – Containerized 2MW systems installed and operational within hours (e.g., University of Minnesota), eliminating long EPC timelines and…
People in this episode
Host: Dr. Chris Wedding
Guest: Arpit Dwivedi
Topics covered
- thermal storage
- industrial decarbonization
- calcium oxide chemistry
- energy efficiency
- sustainable technology
Keywords
- limestone battery
- heat storage
- industrial heat
- decarbonization
- energy transition
- natural gas reduction
- modular systems
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Cache Energy, University of Minnesota, Fortune 500
Places: Midwest
More episodes of Climate CEOs: Scaling Startups
- 95 Industrial Decarbonization Startups · June 12, 2026 · 10 min
- The $60M Bet on Battery-Powered Stoves | Copper · June 9, 2026 · 42 min
- Seven Tactics Women Climate CEOs Use to Scale Faster · June 5, 2026 · 10 min
- Hidden Governance Trap in Climate Startups | Eric Ries · June 2, 2026 · 59 min
- Investor Advice Every Founder Should Hear | Voyager, SOSV, Decarbonization Partners & More · May 29, 2026 · 8 min
- Why Smart Climate Startups Lose Focus · May 22, 2026 · 7 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Climate CEOs: Scaling Startups podcast page.