Renewable Energy Storage: Molten Salt, Liquid Air, and Sand Challenge Lithium-Ion

Herz — Sport Desk · 19 July 2026 at 14:23 · 30s summary · 4 min read

What We Know

Molten salt, liquid air, sand: several renewable energy storage technologies alternatives to lithium-ion batteries are reaching industrial scale, according to an article published on July 19, 2026 by The Guardian. These solutions cover uses ranging from nighttime electricity generation to residential heating, and can be used indefinitely—unlike lithium-ion batteries whose number of cycles is limited.

In the United Arab Emirates, the world's largest battery system combines 5.2 GW of solar capacity with 19 GWh of storage, across an area equivalent to 12,600 football fields. It provides the equivalent of 500,000 homes with solar energy during the night.

Carrington Liquid Air Battery: An Old Coal Site Reimagined

At Trafford in Greater Manchester, UK, the startup Highview Power is developing the Carrington liquid air cryobattery on the site of a former coal power plant. The project is part of the Trafford green cluster, an industrial zone bringing together several energy transition initiatives on former industrial sites across Greater Manchester.

The principle: air is cooled to -196 °C using surplus renewable energy, reducing its volume to 1/700th. Liquid air can be stored for hours, days, or weeks, then regasified to drive a turbine without emissions.

The system is expected to enter service by end of 2026. The installation will provide 300 MWh of storage and 50 MW of power for six hours, sufficient to power approximately 500,000 homes.

Andy Burnham, former Mayor of Greater Manchester, officially launched the Trafford green cluster works. He stated that this project could make the current decade 'the most exciting since the Victorian era for Greater Manchester'.

the most exciting since the Victorian era for Greater Manchester

— Andy Burnham, former Mayor of Greater Manchester, at the official launch of the Trafford green cluster

Molten Salt, Sand, and Miniature Batteries

In the Nevada desert, the Crescent Dunes project concentrates solar energy via 10,000 mirrors to heat potassium and sodium nitrate to 560 °C. This technology has been operational for about ten years and enables heat to be maintained for ten hours after sunset to generate electricity via a turbine.

Molten salt batteries were initially developed for military purposes: they remain the primary power source for most modern guided missiles and nuclear weapons, where they serve as 'reserve batteries'. Their large-scale civil use is more recent.

In Finland, the 'Polar Night' sand battery at Pornainen can cover nearly a month of heating needs in summer and approximately a week in winter, reducing oil consumption.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL)—the primary laboratory of the US Department of Energy, based in Golden, Colorado—is developing miniature batteries to equip tracking chips attached to juvenile salmon and eels approximately 7.5 cm long.