Bigger, longer-duration projects and more sophisticated deal structuring are driving the energy storage industry forward, but a lack of common approaches from transmission system operators (TSOs) remains a challenge.

Germany’s four transmission system operators (TSOs) have begun procuring inertia services to help stabilise the electric grid as shares of renewable energy grow.

Although the government in Poland has taken steps to open up its energy storage market, regulatory challenges remain.

The government of South Africa has secured nearly 1.7GW/11GWh of grid-scale BESS capacity via various procurement programmes, though questions remain around their integrity and deliverability.

Cyprus’s electricity regulator has approved plans to install 400MWh of battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in the Mediterranean island country.

Infrastructure investor I4B and utility Luminus have closed the financing and launched construction on a 150MW/600MWh BESS project in Belgium.

Energy storage owner-operator BW ESS and Zelos Energy Developments have announced a 1.5GW pipeline of BESS projects in Germany, aiming for ready-to-build (RTB) status over the next two years. 

The energy storage market in Italy has unique characteristics that mean more risk-averse investment funds will be able to enter, but upcoming auctions could be very competitive, driving down clearing prices, a director at consultancy Timera Energy said.

A tender for the provision of BESS technology for a ‘decentralised grid booster’ deployment has been launched by Aprion, one of the four major transmission system operators (TSO) in Germany.

The government of South Africa has signed commercial close agreements for two large-scale BESS projects totalling 720MWh, allowing project backers Scatec and a consortium of CIP and EDF to proceed with construction.