Driven by the increasing share of renewable energy sources, such as wind and solar, storage technologies are essential to ensure grid stability, enhance energy security, and support decarbonisation goals.
This special focus publication delves into different and efficient types of energy storage, the current outlook in Europe and why we must act now to secure a renewable future.
The growing need for efficient storage technologies
Intermittency is one of the main challenges of renewable energy. Solar and wind power, while sustainable, depend on weather conditions and time of day, making them less predictable than traditional energy sources.
Energy storage systems (ESS) offer a solution by absorbing excess power during periods of high generation and releasing it when demand exceeds supply.
Types of energy storage technologies
Europe is investing in a broad range of storage technologies, from well-established lithium-ion batteries to emerging solutions like flow batteries, compressed air energy storage (CAES), and hydrogen.
Pumped hydro storage remains the largest form of capacity today, particularly in countries with a favourable geography, such as Switzerland, Austria, and Norway.
However, battery storage is growing rapidly, especially in grid-scale and residential applications.
This growth has fuelled the emergence of revolutionary battery storage systems, such as Elestor’s hydrogen-iron battery. In this eBook, Elestor details this large-scale, long-duration and affordable solution that eases the pressure on Europe’s electricity grids.
The battery’s ability to stabilise the supply of renewable energy over a time period of multiple days without generation helps to reduce or even eliminate our dependency on fossil fuels and affordable reserves.
In an era where energy systems must do more than simply deliver electricity, they must also protect economies, support national sovereignty, and withstand disruptions. Elestor’s contribution is timely and essential.
Hybrid energy storage systems for a multi-vector future
Elsewhere in the eBook, Spyridon Pantelis, Project Manager at the European Energy Research Alliance, discusses the role of hybrid energy storage in meeting Europe’s complex storage needs.
Hybrid energy storage systems (HESS) combine two or more storage technologies, such as batteries and supercapacitors, thermal storage, compressed air, hydrogen, or flywheels, to leverage their complementary characteristics.
The article details how policymakers and industry can overcome barriers associated with HESS systems with initiatives such as market design reform, flexibility support schemes, and permitting measures under the Net-Zero Industry Act.
Policy and market drivers
Policymakers across the European Union are recognising the strategic importance of storage in ensuring energy security, reducing fossil fuel dependence, and meeting climate targets. The result is a growing landscape of support schemes, market reforms, and regulatory developments aimed at unlocking the full potential of storage.
Jacopo Tosoni, Head of Policy at the European Association for Storage of Energy (EASE), details some of these initiatives, such as improving permitting, easing grid connections, and reforming network charges.
The European Union has introduced several policy frameworks to support energy storage, including the European Green Deal and the Clean Energy for All Europeans package.
These initiatives aim to remove regulatory barriers and encourage investment in storage infrastructure.
Additionally, the rise of electric vehicles and decentralised energy systems has created new demand and market opportunities for storage.
Tosoni explains that batteries and thermal solutions could help decarbonise industry by enabling them to use cheap, locally generated renewable power and even participate in energy markets by feeding power back into the grid.
The future of resilient energy storage in Europe
As climate targets become increasingly ambitious, the role of energy storage in Europe is expected to grow.
Achieving full integration of renewable energy into the grid depends on scaling up storage technologies, developing smart grid infrastructure, and creating flexible market mechanisms that reward storage for the services it provides.