Liquid Air Energy Storage (LAES) compares to other energy storage technologies, particularly lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, with mixed environmental impacts based on life cycle assessment (LCA) studies and operational evaluations.
Environmental Impact Comparison: LAES vs. Lithium-ion Batteries
- Life Cycle Environmental Impact: A recent LCA study shows that Li-ion batteries outperform LAES environmentally in a fully electric case study primarily because of:
- Higher round-trip efficiency of Li-ion batteries, meaning less energy is lost during charge and discharge.
- Significant environmental burden from the diathermic oil used in LAES systems, which accounts for 92% of the impact from manufacture and disposal phases.
- CO2 Emission Reductions: LAES systems can contribute significantly to reducing CO2 emissions in power grids by:
- Improving the utilization of renewable energy sources (RES), thereby reducing the need for fossil fuel generation.
- Achieving up to 21% reduction in CO2 emissions in studied systems.
- In some scenarios, such as in the Spanish grid, LAES inclusion led to a 78% decrease in CO2 emissions compared to scenarios without LAES.
Additional Environmental Benefits of LAES
- LAES uses air, a freely available resource, and produces zero direct emissions during operation.
- It is scalable without geographic constraints and has the potential for multiple GWh of storage capacity, supporting grid decarbonization on a large scale.
- LAES is free from capacity degradation issues often observed in chemical batteries, implying a potentially longer operational lifetime and less frequent replacement.
Summary
| Feature | LAES | Lithium-ion Batteries |
|---|---|---|
| Round-trip Efficiency | Lower (leading to higher energy loss) | Higher (more energy efficient) |
| Manufacturing Environmental Impact | High, mainly due to diathermic oil | Lower environmental impact overall |
| CO2 Emission Reduction Potential | Can reduce system CO2 emissions up to 21-78% | Effective in clean operation but tied to battery lifecycle |
| Resource Use | Uses abundant air, no critical materials | Uses critical minerals like lithium, cobalt |
| Scalability | Highly scalable, no geographic constraints | Scalability limited by material supply and cost |
| Operational Emissions | Zero | Zero during operation |
| Durability & Degradation | No capacity degradation | Capacity degradation over time |
LAES offers important environmental advantages in grid-scale storage by enhancing renewable energy integration and cutting CO2 emissions at the system level despite a higher environmental footprint in material production compared to Li-ion batteries. Hence, while Li-ion batteries currently have lower life cycle environmental impacts, LAES presents a promising, scalable, and sustainable alternative particularly beneficial for long-duration, large-scale energy storage applications where renewable energy deployment and emissions reduction are priorities.
Original article by NenPower, If reposted, please credit the source: https://nenpower.com/blog/how-does-laes-compare-to-other-energy-storage-technologies-in-terms-of-environmental-impact/
