Additionally, they require large-scale heat accumulators. Compressed Air Energy Storage (CAES) and Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) are innovative technologies that utilize air for efficient energy storage. CAES stores energy by compressing air, whereas LAES technology stores energy in the form of liquid air.
The liquid air storage system is detailed in Section 2.2. Thermal energy storage systems are categorized based on storage temperature into heat storage and cold storage. Heat storage is employed for storing thermal energy above ambient temperature, while cold storage is used for storing thermal energy below ambient temperature.
CAES offers high roundtrip efficiency, but aboveground storage of compressed air in a pressurised steel tank has significant costs associated with it. Liquid air energy storage on the other hand is not geographically constrained.
Notably, the most significant contrast lies in the fundamental nature of their primary energy storage mechanisms. LAES, or Liquid Air Energy Storage, functions by storing energy in the form of thermal energy within highly cooled liquid air.
Liquid air energy storage is a technology that involves the storage of energy in the form of liquefied air. During the charging phase, ambient air is liquefied using various liquefaction cycles. The power consumed during air compression for liquefaction represents the energy being stored.
Compressed-air-energy storage (CAES) is a way to store energy for later use using compressed air. At a utility scale, energy generated during periods of low demand can be released during peak load periods. The first utility-scale CAES project was in the Huntorf power plant in Elsfleth, Germany, and is still operational as of 2024.