Liquid Air Battery Explained: A Rival to Lithium-Ion Batteries?

As the world moves rapidly toward renewable energy and electrification, the pressure is on to develop better, safer, and more sustainable energy storage solutions. For years, lithium-ion batteries have dominated the market — powering everything from smartphones to electric vehicles. But now, a new contender is gaining attention: the liquid air battery.

Also known as cryogenic energy storage, the liquid air battery promises high-capacity, long-duration energy storage with minimal environmental impact. But can it really compete with lithium-ion technology? Here’s a breakdown of how it works, its advantages, limitations, and whether it could reshape the future of energy storage.

What Is a Liquid Air Battery?

A liquid air battery doesn’t use chemical reactions like lithium-ion batteries. Instead, it stores energy using a process known as cryogenic cooling.

Here’s how it works:

1. Air is compressed and cooled to around -196°C, turning it into a liquid state.
2. The liquid air is then stored in insulated tanks.
3. When energy is needed, the liquid air is warmed back to ambient temperature.
4. As it warms, the air expands rapidly — up to 700 times its liquid volume — creating high-pressure gas that can spin a turbine and generate electricity.

It’s similar to how steam turbines work, except instead of boiling water, the expansion of evaporating air drives the generator.

What Makes It Different from Lithium-Ion Batteries?

Lithium-ion batteries store electricity using electrochemical cells, which are compact and great for high energy density and portability. However, they also:

• Degrade over time
• Require rare and sometimes toxic metals
• Have safety risks, including overheating and fire

Liquid air batteries, on the other hand, use abundant and non-toxic air as the storage medium. They’re also non-flammable, scalable, and more environmentally friendly in large-scale applications.

Advantages of Liquid Air Batteries

1. Long-Duration Storage
   Liquid air batteries can store energy for 8–24 hours or more, making them ideal for balancing grid supply and demand, especially with intermittent renewable sources like wind and solar.
2. No Rare Materials Needed
   Unlike lithium-ion, which relies on materials like cobalt, nickel, and lithium, liquid air batteries use air, water, and steel—making them cheaper and easier to source.
3. Scalable for Grid Use
   These batteries aren’t designed for smartphones or cars—they’re perfect for grid-scale storage, helping utilities store excess energy during off-peak hours and release it during demand spikes.
4. Low Environmental Impact
   The absence of toxic materials and the use of recycled heat sources make liquid air batteries an eco-friendly alternative.
5. Safety
   Liquid air systems are non-combustible, with no risk of explosion or thermal runaway, unlike lithium-ion cells.

Current Limitations

Like any emerging technology, liquid air batteries aren’t without challenges:

• Low Energy Density: Liquid air has much lower energy density compared to lithium-ion, making it unsuitable for small-scale or mobile devices.
• High Capital Costs: The infrastructure to build and operate cryogenic systems is expensive.
• Cooling Requirements: The need for extremely cold temperatures means energy is consumed during the air liquefaction process, reducing overall efficiency.
• Slow Response Time: They aren’t as quick to ramp up as lithium-ion batteries, which limits applications that require instant power.

Where Are Liquid Air Batteries Being Used?

The UK is leading the charge with one of the world’s largest liquid air battery projects in Manchester, operated by Highview Power. This facility is designed to store 250 MWh of energy—enough to power up to 200,000 homes for several hours.

Other countries, including the U.S., are exploring similar models as part of the transition to net-zero energy grids.

So, Is It a Rival to Lithium-Ion Batteries?

Yes—and no.

For large-scale energy storage, liquid air batteries offer advantages that lithium-ion cannot match. Their ability to store renewable energy for long periods, low environmental impact, and safer design make them ideal for utilities and national grids.

But for consumer electronics, electric vehicles, and portable devices, lithium-ion remains unmatched due to its high energy density and compact design.

The future of energy storage is likely not one-size-fits-all. Instead, it will be a mix of technologies, with each tailored to different needs — and liquid air batteries will play a vital role in balancing and decarbonizing the power grid.

Final Thoughts

Liquid air battery technology is still in its early stages, but it holds incredible promise for the future of clean, scalable, and long-duration energy storage. As the global energy landscape continues to evolve, innovations like this are not just alternatives — they’re essentials.

In the race to a sustainable future, the air we breathe may soon be powering the grids we rely on.