The EU has today (23 November) launched a grant funding opportunity worth €4 billion (US$4.4 billion) for upstream and downstream clean energy projects, including energy storage.

We caught up with Birger Steen, CEO of lithium-ion gigafactory company Freyr Battery, about its recent decision to minimise European investments in light of the Inflation Reduction Act, discussing a potential policy response and its approach to ESS and using conventional technologies.

European gigafactory firm Northvolt has started producing battery energy storage systems (BESS) at its Northvolt Dwa facility in Poland, while also securing a US$1.2 billion convertible note.

Around 16GW of battery energy storage system (BESS) projects got preliminary registration for this year’s capacity market auction in Poland, developer Hynfra told Energy-Storage.news.

A state agency in Estonia has provided €5.2 million (US$5.7 million) in grants for 10 energy storage projects, including a 4MW/8MWh battery storage project from utility Eesti Energia.

The European Commission has given the go-ahead to a €150 million (US$160 million) state aid scheme for renewable energy and energy storage in Slovenia.

The European Commission has approved a €103 million (US$125 million) package of direct grants from the government in Romania for battery storage projects.

Testing has started on four battery storage projects in Lithuania totalling 200MW/200MWh provided by system integrator Fluence, with a view to turning the projects online in a few months.

Europe needs to act now to prevent an outflow of investment from its burgeoning battery manufacturing ecosystem in light of the US’ Inflation Reduction Act, the EU-founded European Battery Alliance (EBA) has said.