Plans have been unveiled to build a 50MW liquid air energy storage system in Manchester that will be capable of storing up to 250MWh of electricity.
The cryogenic battery will be developed by Carlton Highview Storage – a newly formed joint venture between Highview Power and Carlton Power. The latter is also planning to build a combined-cycle gas turbine at the site in Trafford Energy Park.
The technology was developed by Highview Power and works by using excess electricity to compress air and cool it down until condenses it into a liquid. The liquid is then stored in low-pressure insulated containers.
When electricity is needed, the air is removed from the containers and reheated, causing it to evaporate back into a gas and rapidly expand. The expanding air is used to drive a turbine and generate power.
The system, which is expected to enter commercial operation in 2022, will be used to provide long-duration storage for surplus renewable electricity as well as balancing and ancillary services. The partners also plan to build four further projects in the UK, with a combined storage capacity of 1GWh.
Highview Power opened a 5MW/15MWh demonstration facility at the Pilsworth landfill gas site in Bury in 2018.
The company’s president and chief executive Javier Cavada said: “We are excited to team up with Carlton Power for our first large-scale commercial UK project. They have an impressive track record of deploying grid-scale energy projects in the UK and their commitment to developing multiple projects with us speaks volumes about their confidence in our technology.
“We are on a fast-track to develop our cryogenic energy storage systems around the globe and this partnership will help accelerate momentum in the European markets.”
Keith Clarke, chief executive of Carlton Power, said: “We looked at a variety of energy storage technologies for utility-scale, long-duration services, and selected Highview’s liquid air energy storage because it is scalable, clean, can deliver the grid services we need, and can be deployed now.
“We were also keen to work with Highview Power to explore the opportunity to deploy the CRYOBattery in tandem with a gas-fired power plant that we have permitted to be built on the Trafford Energy Park. This type of hybrid combined cycle gas turbine would be an important tool to enable the UK to reach net zero.”
The project is being supported by a £10 million grant from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.
Energy and clean growth minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: “This revolutionary new CRYOBattery facility will form a key part of our push towards net zero, bringing greater flexibility to Britain’s electricity grid and creating green collar jobs in Greater Manchester.
“Projects like these will help us realise the full value of our world-class renewables, ensuring homes and businesses can still be powered by green energy, even when the sun is not shining and the wind not blowing.”