Low-valley air energy storage generator set

Could liquid air energy storage be a low-cost option?

New research finds liquid air energy storage could be the lowest-cost option for ensuring a continuous power supply on a future grid dominated by carbon-free but intermittent sources of electricity.

Are liquid air energy storage systems economically viable?

“Liquid air energy storage” (LAES) systems have been built, so the technology is technically feasible. Moreover, LAES systems are totally clean and can be sited nearly anywhere, storing vast amounts of electricity for days or longer and delivering it when it’s needed. But there haven’t been conclusive studies of its economic viability.

Could liquid air energy storage systems outperform lithium-ion batteries and pumped hydro systems?

LAES could outperform both lithium-ion batteries and pumped hydro systems in specific scenarios. The economic feasibility evaluation was published in Energy and can be found here: Cetegen, S. A., Gundersen, T., & Barton, P. I. (2025). Evaluating economic feasibility of liquid air energy storage systems in future US electricity markets.

What are the different types of energy storage technologies?

Currently, the technologies widely applicable for large-scale energy storage include battery energy storage (BES) [9, 10], pumped hydro storage (PHS) [11, 12], compressed air energy storage (CAES) [, , ], and liquid air energy storage (LAES) [1, 16].