Regulatory Progress For Energy Storage In Europe

How many battery energy storage systems were installed in Europe in 2024?

21.9 GWh of battery energy storage systems (BESS) was installed in Europe in 2024, marking the eleventh consecutive year of record breaking-installations, and bringing Europe's total battery fleet to 61.1 GWh. However, the annual growth rate slowed down to 15% in 2024, after three consecutive years of doubling newly added capacity.

How many energy storage projects are there in Europe?

The goal is to list all planned and operational energy storage projects in Europe by location and technology. The dashboard can be filtered by country, project status and technology. It lists 32 countries and is led by Germany, with 472 projects. It is followed by the United Kingdom (455 projects), Spain (147 projects) and Italy (112 projects).

Will the European Commission introduce an energy storage package in 2025?

The European Commission says it will introduce an energy storage package in 2025, as outlined in a new report on progress by member states toward 2030 clean energy targets. From ESS News

What is the European Commission doing about energy storage?

The European Commission in 2020 published a study on energy storage, which summarized some previous studies and reports, explored current and potential energy storage markets in Europe, and set out policy and regulatory recommendations for energy storage.

Why is energy storage important in the EU?

It can also facilitate the electrification of different economic sectors, notably buildings and transport. The main energy storage method in the EU is by far 'pumped hydro' storage, but battery storage projects are rising. A variety of new technologies to store energy are also rapidly developing and becoming increasingly market-competitive.

What percentage of Europe's energy storage capacity is pumped hydro?

However, despite an exponential growth in Europe's battery energy storage capacity, which reached 36 gigawatt-hours in 2023, pumped hydro still accounted for 90 percent of the electricity storage capacity in the European Union that year.

What is the European energy storage inventory?

In March 2025, the Commission launched the European Energy Storage Inventory, a real-time dashboard that displays energy storage levels across different European countries. It is the first European-level tool of its kind and offers energy storage data across a full range of technologies.

Why is energy storage important in the EU?

It can also facilitate the electrification of different economic sectors, notably buildings and transport. The main energy storage method in the EU is by far 'pumped hydro' storage, but battery storage projects are rising. A variety of new technologies to store energy are also rapidly developing and becoming increasingly market-competitive.

Why should EU countries consider the 'consumer-producer' role of energy storage?

It addresses the most important issues contributing to the broader deployment of energy storage. EU countries should consider the double 'consumer-producer' role of storage by applying the EU electricity regulatory framework and by removing barriers, including avoiding double taxation and facilitating smooth permitting procedures.

Why is energy storage important?

Besides being an important flexibility solution, energy storage can reduce price fluctuations, lower electricity prices during peak times and empower consumers to adapt their energy consumption to prices and their needs. It can also facilitate the electrification of different economic sectors, notably buildings and transport.

What are the new EU collaborative research projects on batteries?

Most of the new EU collaborative research projects on batteries are taking place under the BATT4EU Partnership, with €925 million earmarked for 2021-2027. A number of EU countries have also teamed up for ' Important Projects of Common European Interest ' on batteries research and innovation.