Blowing hot and cold
LAES and the future of energy storage
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Liquid Air Energy Storage ( LAES ) facilities provide a new way of storing electrical energy . Using large gas compressors to turn air into liquid , LAES provide a method of storing this pressurised energy for future use . With no geographical constraints , little environmental impact and no depletion on scarce materials , it ’ s no surprise that LAES have been cited as the future of energy storage . But , what does it take to get a LAES facility operational ? Here , Marek Lukaszczyk , marketing manager for WEG Europe and Middle East explains .
LAES , alongside other energy storage options , will prove to be critical as the world continues to transition to renewable power . Renewable sources , such as wind , solar and tidal — while they are far less damaging to the planet than fossil fuels — are notoriously difficult to predict . This fluctuation creates issues when balancing energy supply and demand .
Consider this as an example . A wind farm operating in the North of England may have several days of intense energy generation due to high wind speeds causing consistent movement of the plant ’ s turbines . However , if the United Kingdom ’ s wider energy grid is already saturated with power , there becomes a dilemma of where to store the wind farm ’ s excess energy .
As the world continues to transition to renewable power , the challenge of storing energy — and the ability to quickly release it when demand is high — is becoming a significant conversation in industry .
HOW DO LAES WORK ?
LAES facilities can provide a solution to fluctuating energy supply . Their large gas compressors turn air to a liquid and then store it in insulated , pressurised tanks , which keeps it as a liquid .
In order to generate power , the air is then heated and allowed to expand again , and the pressure pushes a gas turbine around to generate power . Using this method , energy is stored , and the only emission created in this environment is air .