Utility Verbund targets 1GW of battery storage by 2030 as it cuts ribbon on Germany project

LinkedIn
Twitter
Reddit
Facebook
Email

Austria-based utility Verbund is targeting 1GW of battery storage by 2030, it revealed in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a recent project in Bavaria, Germany.

This week saw it unveil two operational battery storage projects in Bavaria that Energy-Storage.news recently revealed had gone online just before the turn of the year, allowing them to qualify for a revenue stream no longer available for newly commissioned projects.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Enjoy 12 months of exclusive analysis

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Annual digital subscription to the PV Tech Power journal
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Verbund CEO Michael Strugl, Deputy Minister President of Bavaria Hubert Aiwanger, and Å Energi CEO Steffen Syvertsen, pictured above, attended the ceremony for the projects in Diespeck and Iphofen. Å Energi is the Norway-based parent company of German developer and system integrator Eco Stor.

“Without storage, there would be no successful energy transition. A renewable future can only succeed if we succeed in successfully integrating fluctuating forms of generation into strong and stable grids: every kilowatt hour that can be generated must also be allowed to be generated without endangering grid stability. Every kilowatt hour generated must also be available when it is actually needed,” said Michael Strugl, CEO of Verbund.

“The VERBUND battery storage chain in Northern Bavaria makes a valuable contribution to this. We are fully focused on the energy future: VERBUND plans to install a total of 1GW of battery storage capacity by the end of 2030.”

Strugl said the 1GW target was all for Germany whilst giving a podium speech as part of the ceremony, a source observing the event told Energy-Storage.news. The firm’s battery storage projects have mainly been deployed there to-date, including a 10MW unit in Eisenach, Thuringia, brought online in May last year.

The company is a state-owned utility and grid operator covering 40% of electricity demand in Austria and also operating the entirety of its high-transmission network. Its trading business is active in Germany and is the vehicle through which it owns and optimises its battery storage projects there.

Almost 400MW of utility-scale battery storage was installed in Germany last year bringing the total to well over 700MW installed. A lot of it just before the turn of the year to qualify for a grid service which is often roughly translated as ‘peak shaving’, explained here.

Germany is still a long way off the the pace needed to achieve the 84GWh of new battery storage that the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems estimates it will need to achieve 80% renewable energy by 2030, however.

See all Energy-Storage.news coverage of the German energy storage market here.

Energy-Storage.news’ publisher Solar Media will host the eighth annual Energy Storage Summit EU in London, 22-23 February 2023. This year it is moving to a larger venue, bringing together Europe’s leading investors, policymakers, developers, utilities, energy buyers and service providers all in one place. Visit the official site for more info.

11 November 2025
San Diego, USA
The 2024 Summit included innovative new features including a ‘Crash Course in Battery Asset Management’, Ask-Me-Anything formats and debate-style sessions. You can expect to meet and network with all the key industry players again in 2025 from major US asset owners, operators, RTOs and ISOs, optimizers, software and analytics providers, technical consultancies, O&M technology providers and more.

Read Next

May 21, 2025
Installed battery storage capacity in California, US has grown from 771MW in 2019 to more than 15,500MW as of 31 January, 2025.
Premium
May 21, 2025
ESN Premium speaks with Dr. Yinghuang Ji, head of structuring at MN8 Energy, on current challenges and opportunities for growth in the energy storage market.
May 21, 2025
Regulators in Germany are considering two big reforms that could improve the business case for BESS, while developer-operator Green Flexibility has announced its first major project.
May 21, 2025
Commissioning has commenced on the 111MW/285MWh Templers battery energy storage system (BESS) in South Australia.
May 21, 2025
Delivering on its 2025 election pledge, Australia’s Labor government has announced it will introduce the Cheaper Home Batteries Program from 1 July 2025.

Most Popular

Email Newsletter