UK-based Highview Power Storage (HPS) has signed a global licensing and technology collaboration agreement with GE Oil & Gas for developing liquid air energy storage (LAES) systems.

Under the agreement, the companies will look into integrating Highview’s LAES technology in power plants where GE gas turbines will be installed.

HPS LAES technology uses liquid air or nitrogen as the storage medium to provide long-duration energy storage and it can also convert low-grade waste heat into power, increasing the overall efficiency of a host power plant.

This technology is scalable from around 5MW to significantly greater than 50MW.

The companies claim that the technology has no geographical restrictions compared to other large-scale storage technologies, like pumped hydro, and compressed air does not require mountains or caverns to operate.

Since 2011, LAES has been operating at a grid-connected 350kW/2.5MW pilot plant hosted by SSE next to the utility’s 80MW Slough biomass plant in Greater London.

GE Oil & Gas Turbomachinery Solutions business product management general manager Luca Maria Rossi said that Highview’s LAES technology and access to an operational pilot plant makes it an ideal partner for GE Oil & Gas to offer fully integrated energy solutions to customers.

HPS CEO Gareth Brett said that working with GE is an opportunity for HPS to access a broader customer base.

“The use of our LAES technology with GE’s solutions for flexible peaker plants will help make a significant contribution to balancing the electrical network of the future,” Brett said.