Vietnamese startup Alternō has landed a spot in the Top 3 of the "Clean Energy & Storage" category at the prestigious international Startup Energy Transition (SET) Award 2026, following a rigorous competition involving more than 470 teams from 79 countries.
The announcement was made in Berlin on March 17.
The SET Award is an international platform for innovators hosted by the German Energy Agency (dena) in cooperation with the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK).
According to the organizers, this marks the first time in the award's 10-year history that a Vietnamese startup has reached the top three in a major category. Alternō was also one of the few representatives from Southeast Asia to make it to the final round, competing alongside energy and Deep Tech firms predominantly from Europe.
At the finals, Alternō presented its innovative thermal energy storage solution, popularly known as a "sand battery." The system utilizes sand to store heat at high temperatures, catering to industrial needs such as agricultural drying and large-scale manufacturing processes.
During their presentation, the development team highlighted that their solution is significantly more cost-effective than traditional chemical-based battery storage. By utilizing abundant, common materials and eliminating the need for rare minerals, the technology is estimated to reduce costs by approximately 50% compared to conventional storage methods while significantly lowering environmental impact.
In terms of practical application, sand battery technology is expected to help businesses reduce their dependency on fossil fuels, particularly coal, in production lines requiring heat. This transition is poised to alleviate pressure on the national power grid and further diversify domestic energy sources.
The solution was highly praised by the international jury for its potential to decarbonize heat-intensive industries—sectors that are historically high emitters and difficult to transition entirely to renewable electricity. This "hard-to-abate" factor was a key reason Alternō stood out among hundreds of global applicants.
