Battery storage as the key to the energy transition

A little less than ten years ago, all countries on this planet came together to set out on the path to saving our planet by signing the Paris Climate Agreement. A central component of this agreement is the achievement of climate targets by 2030, but despite grand speeches and numerous promising initiatives, this goal seems unattainable in the current situation. The European economy is still heavily dependent on fossil fuels – even though the global CO₂ budget could be exhausted in less than six years.

Immediate action is needed to achieve the net-zero targets by 2050. The electricity industry in particular, one of the largest emitters of CO₂ emissions, is at a crucial turning point.

GREEN ELECTRICITY FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

The energy transition is in full swing and the expansion of renewable energies is the right response to the energy policy challenges of our time. Wind power and photovoltaic systems are now an integral part of the German electricity landscape. They supply us with green, safe and, above all, affordable electricity every day. In 2023, more than half of the electricity generated in Germany came from renewable sources – and the trend is rising. (source: Umweltbundesamt)

The German government is supporting this expansion with measures such as open-space PV privileges and is planning to triple the generation capacity from photovoltaic and wind energy. By 2038 at the latest, the last coal-fired power plant is to be taken off the grid and the majority of Germany's electricity needs are to be covered by renewable energies.

(source: BMUV)

CHALLENGE: INSTABILITY OF THE POWER GRIDS

The German government's focus on accelerating the expansion of renewable energy generation is understandable, but is not sufficient on its own for a successful energy transition. The greatest challenge lies in balancing out the volatility of renewable energies, as their production depends on weather conditions.

In times of high wind and sunshine, surplus electricity is generated, while shortages occur when there is no wind or the sky is overcast. These fluctuations put a considerable strain on the electricity grid and lead to volatile electricity prices. As early as 2022, an increasing amount of electricity from renewable energies had to be curtailed because the grids were overloaded and lacked flexibility. Last year alone, this led to grid fees totalling 4.2 billion euros – an increase of 50% compared to the previous year. (source: Tagesschau)

For a clean, reliable and economical energy future, we need up to 20 times more flexible power in our electricity grids.

LARGE-SCALE BATTERY STORAGE: THE BACKBONE OF A FLEXIBLE ENERGY SYSTEM

Large-scale battery storage systems can successfully compensate for the volatility of renewable energies and play a central role in the electricity supply. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), battery storage systems will be one of the most important sources of flexibility by 2050. Thanks to their versatility, batteries can be used in numerous configurations.

"In order to facilitate the transition from conventional to renewable energies, we need to support the flexibilisation of the electricity grid. Decentralised large-scale battery storage systems at strategic grid points are the solution to the bottlenecks of the energy transition", explains Christoph Ostermann, CEO of green flexibility.

Decentralised large-scale battery storage systems enable:

• The stabilisation of electricity grids: storage systems react to grid fluctuations in seconds, prevent overloads and reduce the risk of power outages.

• A greater integration of renewable energies: Optimised storage and distribution of electricity maximises the use of clean green electricity and minimises the curtailment of renewable energies.

• The reduction in electricity prices: Batteries balance out surpluses and shortfalls, stabilise prices and make energy affordable at all times.

• Efficient utilisation of existing network infrastructure: Flexible energy storage relieves the load on the grids and optimises investments in grid expansion.

SCIENCE CONFIRMS THE IMPORTANCE OF BATTERY STORAGE

The Fraunhofer ISE study ‘Paths to a climate-neutral energy system’ from 2021 shows that stationary large-scale battery storage systems will play a key role in the energy transition. Germany currently has battery storage systems with a capacity of 12.5 GWh. (source: RWTH Aachen)

In order to achieve the target of 65% renewable energy by 2030, storage capacities would have to increase to at least 86 GWh – an eightfold increase on current capacities. If even 80% of electricity were to come from renewable sources, an even greater expansion would be necessary.