Abstract Mobile energy storage systems working with Zeolite in an open sorption system can utilize industrial waste heat in cases where a pipeline bound connection is not cost sufficient. A demonstration plant using extraction steam from a waste incineration plant to charge the storage with 130 °C hot air and an industrial drying process as customer 7 km far away from the charging station was built, operated and monitored over one year. The storage contains 14 tons of Zeolite and uses at the discharging station exhaust air from the dryer with 60 °C and 0.09 kg/kg humidity to realize a storage capacity of 2.3 MWh, saves 616 kg carbon dioxide per cycle and shows no degradation within accuracy of the measuring equipment. Maldistribution through the packed bed of zeolite prohibit the desired power output. The prime energy costs can be reduced down to 73 €/MWh considering a small scale mass production.