Highview Power

About Highview Power

Highview Power, founded in 2005 by Toby Peters, Peter Dearman, and R. Peters, is a London-based company specializing in long-duration energy storage. The company's inception traces back to an idea by Peter Dearman to create an engine driven by liquid nitrogen, a concept that was tested at the University of Leeds. This early work led to the formation of Highview Power, which has since focused on developing and commercializing its proprietary liquid air energy storage (LAES) technology. A significant milestone was the 2011 launch of the world's first liquid air pilot plant in Slough, supported by a government grant. This was followed by the opening of the first grid-scale LAES plant in Bury, near Manchester, in 2018.

The company's core business revolves around its CRYOBattery™ technology, a form of LAES designed to address the intermittency of renewable energy sources. The system operates by using electricity, typically excess power from renewables, to cool ambient air to -196°C, turning it into a liquid. This liquid air is stored in insulated, low-pressure tanks. When power is needed, the liquid air is warmed, causing it to rapidly expand and drive a turbine to generate electricity without combustion. A key aspect of the system is its ability to capture and store waste heat from the liquefaction process and waste cold from the re-gasification process, which significantly improves the overall round-trip efficiency. The technology is designed for large-scale, long-duration applications, capable of storing energy for four hours to several weeks.

Highview Power's business model focuses on developing, building, and operating these LAES facilities. The company serves utility and distributed power systems, providing grid stabilization services, frequency management, and backup power. Its clients are primarily grid operators and utilities seeking to enhance grid stability and integrate more renewable energy. Revenue is generated through contracts for the capabilities and services the facilities provide, such as firming up wind and solar power and offering ancillary grid services. The company has secured significant funding to advance its projects, including a £300 million investment in June 2024 for a commercial-scale plant in Carrington, Manchester. This project, led by the UK Infrastructure Bank and Centrica, will have a storage capacity of 300 MWh and is expected to be operational in early 2026.