Highview breaks ground on 300MWh liquid air storage
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham officially marked the commencement of construction at Highview’s 300MWh liquid air energy storage (LAES) facility in Carrington.
The groundbreaking ceremony at Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park welcomed Burnham alongside Highview CEO Richard Butland, Chairman Colin Roy, and Andrew Western, MP for Stretford and Urmston, as construction begins on the facility scheduled for operation by late 2026.
Highview claims that the project is the world’s largest commercial-scale plant of its kind.
The Carrington plant will deliver 50MW/300MWh of storage capability for six hours. The facility will integrate with existing substation and transmission infrastructure while incorporating a stability island designed to enhance local grid resilience against outages and blackouts.
“Storing renewable energy power so it’s there when people need it will be essential for Greater Manchester in the years ahead,” Burnham said at the ceremony.
“This project is an important step in that direction, and it’s already supporting jobs and skills in the area through its construction and supply chain.”
The development represents the first project at Trafford Low Carbon Energy Park, establishing the foundation for what Greater Manchester authorities anticipate will become a major clean energy hub in the region.
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Highview’s liquid air energy storage system captures excess renewable energy during periods of low demand, storing it as liquid air for hours, days, or weeks.
When required, the stored air expands to generate electricity, delivering dispatchable power without emissions. The technology operates without degradation for 40 to 50 years and provides fully locatable, modular deployment capabilities.
The system addresses critical challenges in renewable energy integration, firming intermittent wind and solar generation while reducing curtailment and supporting the transition from fossil fuel dependency.
Highview secured £300 million in funding last year from the National Wealth Fund, Centrica, and a syndicate including Rio Tinto, Goldman Sachs, KIRKBI and Mosaic Capital to construct the Carrington facility.
This investment follows the company’s previous funding achievements, including £130 million secured for its Scottish stability island project earlier this month. The Stability Island is an independent synchronous condenser and power electronics facility which will help stabilise the grid alongside Highview’s planned energy storage project at that site.
“This is a hugely important moment for Highview, as we kick-start work on our first LAES facility in Carrington,” said Butland. “This site is the first in our planned programme of energy storage plants across the UK, and we expect the first phase to be up and running by the second half of next year.”
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The Carrington project builds on Highview’s 17-year development of liquid air energy storage technology in the UK, positioning the company to deliver renewable energy storage at scale. The facility forms part of Highview’s broader UK expansion strategy, which has attracted investor interest over the years, including JCG’s doubled investment in the liquid air energy storage specialist.
The technology utilises proprietary analytics platforms to forecast energy requirements while orchestrating strategic capital deployment for solution development.
Highview curates its technology portfolio to design, build, and operate assets that meet specific grid requirements.
The Carrington facility will act as the pioneer of Highview’s Millennium Series, showcasing the commercial potential of long-duration energy storage (LDES) at scale.