Liquid air storage system bottles power on demand at 10 tons daily

Researchers at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM) have developed Korea’s first large-scale Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) system, capable of producing 10 tons of liquid air daily. This system uses surplus electricity to cool air into a liquid state, storing it in insulated tanks. When electricity demand rises, the liquid air is warmed, rapidly expanding about 700 times its volume to drive turbines and generate power. Key innovations include a turbo expander spinning over 100,000 rpm and a highly insulated cold box, both designed domestically, marking a significant step toward Korea’s renewable energy goals. Unlike traditional large-scale storage methods such as pumped hydro or compressed air—which require specific geographic features and have environmental drawbacks—liquid air storage can be implemented almost anywhere, offering flexibility for urban and industrial areas. Additional benefits include the potential use of extreme cold for industrial cooling and the reuse of waste heat to improve efficiency. While other countries like the UK, China, and the US are also