Energy storage and utilisation system

A steam delivery system for providing industrial steam, the system comprising:

• a feedwater control system for providing a flow of feedwater;
• a thermal energy storage apparatus in fluid communication with the feedwater control system to heat the feedwater flowing through a conduit of the thermal energy storage apparatus to provide steam;
• and
• a desuperheater in fluid communication with the thermal energy storage apparatus to receive the steam and regulate the steam temperature;
• a sparge system in fluid communication with the desuperheater;
• such that in use, the steam delivery system provides industrial steam having at least one of a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure;
• and the steam delivery system operates in configurations comprising:
• an excess-steam configuration, wherein at least a portion of the steam provided by the desuperheater is redirected to the sparge system;
• a no-demand configuration, wherein the steam provided by the desuperheater is redirected to the sparge system.

A method of providing industrial steam, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing feedwater through a feedwater control system;
• flowing the feedwater from the feedwater control system to a thermal energy storage apparatus to heat the feedwater to provide steam;
• and
• desuperheating the steam to regulate the steam temperature;
• sparging the steam provided by the desuperheater to a sparge system in configurations comprising:
• an excess-steam configuration, wherein at least a portion of the steam provided by the desuperheater is redirected to the sparge system;
• a no-demand configuration, wherein the steam provided by the desuperheater is redirected to the sparge system;
• to thereby provide industrial steam having at least one of a predetermined temperature and a predetermined pressure.