# Liquid air storage

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

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_liquid_air/

Storage · Mechanical · No. 82

- Storage
- Duration: Hours to days
 Storage · Mechanical · Foundation · Energy

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 power**Runs compressors and a refrigeration cycle
2. 2 **Liquefaction**Air cooled to about -196 C
3. 3 **Tanks**Insulated low-pressure storage for hours
4. 4 **Pump and warm**Liquid pressurised and reheated
5. 5 **Turbine**Expanding air generates power and inertia
 Covered in [Storing energy: from fuel stocks to batteriesEnergy](https://www.materialinsights.org/learn/energy/storing-energy/)

##### Go deeper pick a tab to open it in full

## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_liquid_air/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_liquid_air/correlation/index.md)
- [Science and technology](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_liquid_air/sg-sci/index.md)
- [Engineering and performance](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_liquid_air/sg-eng/index.md)
- [Economics](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_liquid_air/sg-econ/index.md)
- [Impact and additionality](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_liquid_air/sg-impact/index.md)
- [What to track](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_liquid_air/tracking/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_liquid_air/links/index.md)