Liquid air storage

Air cooled until liquid, then warmed so it expands through a turbine.

Storage · Mechanical · No. 82

• Storage
• Duration: Hours to days

Chill air to about -196 C and it shrinks 700-fold into a liquid you can tank, then burst through a turbine.

Chart: Illustration: Liquid air storage

Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Industrial-gas refrigeration turns spare electricity into liquid air, which is warmed later so it expands through a turbine; plants could last 40 to 50 years.

Three things to know

1. Making liquid air takes about 0.6 to 0.75 kWh of electricity per kilogram.
2. It needs no mountains, caverns or critical minerals, just steel tanks, compressors and turbines.
3. Highview's large UK projects were left off Ofgem's June 2026 shortlist of 16 projects for guaranteed revenue.

The journey

1. 1 Spare powerRuns compressors and a refrigeration cycle
2. 2 LiquefactionAir cooled to about -196 C
3. 3 TanksInsulated low-pressure storage for hours
4. 4 Pump and warmLiquid pressurised and reheated
5. 5 TurbineExpanding air generates power and inertia

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