Carrington Liquid Air Storage Plant by Highview Power: status and timeline

Milestones

Next · Stability island operational

Funding secured from UKIB, Centrica, syndicateJun 2024Complete.
Construction beginsQ3 2024Complete.
Stability island operationalTarget Aug 2026Not yet reached.
Full LAES system operationalTarget 2027Not yet reached.

Most important updates

Highview Power raises £300M for Carrington liquid air storage plantJun 2024

Upcoming

Aug 2026Stability island operational (next)
2027Full LAES system operational

Current obstacles

Engineering and construction complexityCryogenic systems require specialized engineering, tight tolerances, and skilled operations.
Round-trip efficiency and economicsAt 40-50% efficiency, LAES competes on duration and grid services, not pure energy arbitrage.

Physics limits

Thermodynamic efficiency limitCarnot efficiency limits maximum energy recovery; any practical system loses heat.
Cryogenic engineering challengesMaterials and seals must survive -196°C without brittleness or leakage; few materials suit this.

How it works

4 parts

Compression and liquefaction

Cool and compress air to liquid

Compressors cool air to -196°C, liquefying it with 1/700th the volume. Stored in insulated tanks.

Expansion and power

Turbines convert expansion to electricity

Liquid air passes through turbines, expanding and heating as it returns to gas. Turbines drive generators.

Waste heat recovery

Recover compression heat for efficiency

Heat from compression is captured and warms the expanding air, improving round-trip efficiency.

Grid integration

Stability island supports local resilience

Carrington includes a stability island to isolate and stabilize the local grid against blackouts.

Spec sheet

Spec	Carrington Liquid Air Storage Plant
Storage capacity	300 MWh^R (reported)
Power rating	50 MW^R (reported)
Discharge duration at rated power	6 hours^R (reported)
Liquid air storage temperature	-196°C^R (reported)

^R reported by the company

Update log

1 update

Jun 2024

Major: Highview Power raises £300M for Carrington liquid air storage plantPressFunding

About Highview Power

The team behind Carrington Liquid Air Storage Plant

Highview Power

Liquid air energy storage, LAES, grid storage

Develops liquid air energy storage by cooling air to -196°C in cryogenic tanks for days-to-weeks storage. Operates Carrington (300 MWh) and develops GWh-scale projects.

Highview's LAES compresses and liquefies air at -196°C in insulated tanks for storage over days or weeks.
The 300 MWh Carrington plant near Manchester has a stability island operational by August 2026, with full LAES expected in 2027.
Hunterston and Killingholme projects (3.2 GWh each) advanced through Ofgem's cap-and-floor scheme, eligible for final award summer 2026.

highviewpower.com (opens highviewpower.com)Company profile →

Founded: 200521 yrs
Headquarters: United Kingdom
Status: Private
Valuation: private
Raised: $351M1 round
Last round: Growth funding · $351MJun 2024
Works in: EnergyGrid storage
Coverage: 3 programs · 2 updateslatest 1 Sep 2025checked 10 Oct
Investors: UKIB (UK Infrastructure Bank) (opens orrick.com)Centrica (opens orrick.com)
People: Richard ButlandCEO

Spec

Carrington Liquid Air Storage Plant

Storage capacity

300 MWh^R (reported)

Power rating

50 MW^R (reported)

Discharge duration at rated power

6 hours^R (reported)

Liquid air storage temperature

-196°C^R (reported)