MAN ES to partner with Highview on Carrington CRYOBattery

Image: Highview Power’s CRYOBattery

Highview Power, specialist in long duration energy storage solutions, has selected MAN Energy Solutions to provide the turbomachinery for its CRYOBattery(TM) facility, a 50 MW liquid-air energy-storage plant – with a minimum energy storage capacity of 250 MWh – located in Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, Carrington Village, Greater Manchester, UK.

The liquid air energy storage plant uses cryogenically-liquefied air as a medium for storing energy. It is especially suitable for special applications that require large amounts of energy over a discharge time of several hours, says Highview Power, and can be used to in combination with renewables to address the problem of intermittency.

In Highview Power’s proprietary cryogenic energy storage technology, ambient air is cooled and turned to liquid at -196°C (-320 °F). The liquid air is stored at low pressure and later heated and expanded to drive a turbine and generate power.

Highview Power’s cryogenic energy storage plants also offer capabilities such as voltage control, grid balancing and synchronous inertia, giving grid operators the flexibility to manage power and energy services independently.

A MAN turbomachinery train will provide the core of the Carrington CRYOBattery facility that, upon completion, will form one of Europe’s largest energy storage systems.

Javier Cavada, president and CEO of Highview Power, said: “Highview Power believes in partnering with companies that share our commitment to a decarbonised world, and awarding MAN the contract to build out our Carrington facility reinforces that commitment.”

Wayne Jones, OBE, chief sales officer and member of the executive board of MAN Energy Solutions, said: “There has been a lot of background work involved in getting to this stage – in the face of much competition – and I am personally delighted that Highview Power has chosen to work with MAN Energy Solutions. The Carrington project is a massive milestone for the future of storage technology and for the United Kingdom’s goal of a 100% clean, carbon- free energy future. We are entering the market together in an absolutely unique project that will have the eyes of the world upon it.”

Jones continued: “This is also a milestone for MAN Energy Solutions’ strategic journey. Our ability in this instance to provide both energy-storage turbomachinery technology and grid stabilisation, as demanded by the process requirements, fits perfectly with our stated strategy of increasingly moving from supplying components to becoming a supplier of complete solutions.”

Construction of the CRYOBattery(TM) began in late 2020 with commercial operation scheduled for 2022.

Highview Power will operate the facility in partnership with Carlton Power, a UK independent power station developer.

Construction will proceed in two phases. Phase 1 will involve the installation of a ‘stability island’, to provide near-instantaneous energy grid stabilisation. This will be achieved using a generator and flywheel, among other components.

Enabling short-term stabilisation will provide the basis for Phase 2 and the completion of the more complex liquid air energy storage system, which includes compressors, air expanders and cryogenic equipment.

Image: Liquid air energy storage system turbomachinery, with “stability island”, including flywheel and generator

Phase 2 will see the integration of the stability services with a full-scale long-duration energy storage system.

“The Carrington project will offer a blueprint for future projects and cement the partnership between MAN Energy Solutions and Highview Power”, the two companies said.

In June 2020, Highview Power was awarded a £10 million grant from the UK Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) to build the Carrington CRYOBattery.

The facility will use existing substation and transmission infrastructure, with its income derived from several markets, including arbitrage (buying electricity when prices are low and selling it when prices are high), grid balancing, the capacity market, and ancillary services such as frequency response and voltage support.