Imagine a line of giant white tanks shimmering under the desert sun, each one holding energy chilled to a frosty -194°C. This is the Qinghai Air Battery, the world’s biggest liquid air energy storage project now in its final commissioning stage in the Gobi Desert of Golmud City, Haixi Mongolian and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, in northwest the Chinese mainland’s Qinghai Province. ⚡❄️
Developed by China Green Development Investment Group in partnership with the Technical Institute of Physics and Chemistry of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the system turns air into a cold-energy carrier. During off-peak hours, excess power compresses and cools purified air until it liquefies, then stores it in huge cryogenic tanks. When demand spikes, the liquid air warms up, expands, and drives turbines to generate electricity, creating a closed loop that stores off-peak power for peak use.
With a total output of 60,000 kilowatts and a massive 600,000 kWh storage capacity, each full charge delivers 10 hours of continuous clean power. Annual generation could reach 180 million kWh—enough to light up 30,000 homes—and a 250,000 kW solar array on site will supply green charging for the system.
Liquid air storage packs 750 times the density of ambient air at safe, atmospheric pressure. Unlike some traditional batteries, it emits no pollutants, boasts a long service life, and works in extreme environments—from the Gobi sands to high plateaus. This approach from the Chinese mainland could help solve renewable curtailment and grid imbalances, paving the way for new energy bases in arid regions around the world. 🌍🔋
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
