RENEWABLE ENERGY
The Highview Power LAES storage facility
Richard Butland, CEO
LIQUID AIR T
he UK Infrastructure Bank (UKIB) has committed £300 million for investment in the first commercial-scale liquid air energy storage (LAES) plant in the UK, to be run by pioneering
energy storage company Highview Power. British energy and services company Centrica has also partnered with Rio Tinto, Goldman Sachs, KIRKBI and Mosaic Capital to raise funding for the LAES. Based in Carrington, Manchester the plant will be
one of the world’s largest long-duration energy storage facilities, according to the company. The site will afford a capacity of 300MWh and an output power of 50MWs per hour for six hours. It is due for completion in early 2026 with full roll-out expected for 2035 in line with the National Grid’s aims for 2GW LAES by the same time. Highview Power claims it will meet nearly 20% of the UK’s energy storage needs and last for 40 years. The UK economy will benefit too since £9 billion will
be poured into UK infrastructure over the next 10 years. The company anticipates that the project will ultimately create around 6,000 jobs, while over the short term, the construction and supply chain element of the project will create approximately 700 new jobs. The company also claims that the project will lead to improved energy security and reduced bills for households thereby strengthening the UK economy.
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How one energy storage solution promises to change the energy landscape of the UK
THE LAES EXPLAINED Three main components make up Highview Power’s LAES: a charging device which utilises unused electricity to power an industrial liquefier producing liquid air; an energy store where the liquid air is held in an insulated tank; and a power recovery unit where the gasified liquid air is used to drive a turbine and generate electricity. Renewable energy can be stored in the LAES for
several weeks, an improvement on the battery technology currently being used across key grid locations at scale. Eventually, the solution promises to help provide stability to the national grid when using solar, wind and other renewable sources. The system will enable energy from renewables to be as responsive and flexible as fossil fuel energy, allowing the national grid to fully transition to green energy long term.
HOW IT WORKS Firstly, in a process called the clawed cycle, air is cleaned, dried and refrigerated through a series of compression and expansion stages until it liquifies. The liquified air is then stored in insulated tanks.
When power is required, the liquid air is drawn from the tanks, pumped to high pressure then reheated
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