We catch up with the CEO of Netherlands-headquartered system integrator Alfen to discuss its sodium-ion BESS partnership with CATL and plans for the technology in Europe.

Battery storage projects have won nearly 40% of the capacity in Belgium’s latest capacity market (CM) auction results, while Germany’s first has all gone to gas, paying nearly eight times more than Belgium in the process.

BW ESS has put its 350MW/1,240MWh Hams Hall BESS project in the UK into operation, the largest in Europe.

The intense competition between BESS suppliers in the European market and the ever-more dense products available increases technical risk and the possibility of contractual issues further down the line, a France-based advisor said.

IPP Sonnedix has put two solar-plus-storage projects into commercial operation in Portugal, coinciding with the government moving to use BESS to strengthen the reliability of its electricity grid.

As demand for battery storage soars, the European Union (EU) has tried to grow its local battery supply chain with mixed success so far, writes PV ESS analyst Charlotte Gisbourne.

BESS investments in the French market are moving to longer durations with saturation expected to hit the secondary reserve market, currently the main way operational projects make their money.

IPP and EPC Faria Renewables has inaugurated its 49.9MW/134.16MWh Galani BESS project in Elassona, Greece.

German IPP Enertrag and Swiss utility Axpo have launched BESS projects in France, including what could be the country’s first 3-hour project.

A trio of large-scale 4-hour BESS projects in Germany have progressed towards construction, from Enertrag and Enlight, Vattenfall and Fluence, and Giga Storage.