A large-scale complex for energy storage using liquefied air is being built in Qinghai province in China. The technology will make it possible to generate electricity without the use of coal and lithium.
An innovative energy complex, Super Air Power Bank, is being built in the Gobi Desert in northwestern China. The unit operates on liquefied air: gas cooled to -194 degrees Celsius, turns into liquid and stored in sealed containers. When needed, it heats up and expands, driving turbines that generate electricity to feed into the public grid.
The project was implemented by China Green Development Investment Group and the Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. One operating cycle of the installation is capable of generating up to 600 thousand kWh and lasting up to 10 hours. The annual capacity of the complex can reach 180 million kWh. Storage efficiency exceeds 95%, minimizing energy loss.
Super Air Power Bank is integrated with a solar power plant with a capacity of 250 thousand kW, which allows you to accumulate excess renewable energy and use it during periods of peak demand. This reduces dependence on traditional energy sources and maintains a stable power supply to the region.
The development of liquefied air as an energy carrier is of interest not only to China. South Korea and the UK are also actively investing in such installations. The experiences of these countries show that the technology can become an important part of a global strategy for clean energy and stabilization of electricity grids.
Super Air Power Bank demonstrates new approach to energy storage: safe, environmentally friendly and cost-effective. It can help reduce carbon emissions and create a reliable infrastructure for sustainable energy consumption in the future.
The Chinese project paves the way for the use of liquefied air as an alternative source of energy storage, allowing more efficient management of electrical networks and reducing the burden on traditional resources.
Source: The Pulse
Image: Felipe Ditadi
