Europe Energy Storage Targets 2030 and 2050

Europe is accelerating towards its goal of climate neutrality by 2050, which will result in an energy system that is very different from today's form.
   

The volatility of wind and solar power creates new challenges, and power systems need to be more flexible than they are today to accommodate the increasing number of renewable energy sources and changes in power flows.
   

Energy storage is crucial for system reliability and safeguarding energy supply during times of low renewable energy, while maximizing the use of renewable energy during times of high production.
   

Energy storage is the only solution that can provide critical energy transfer services, which is one of the key solutions to reduce the constraints of renewable energy.
   

The development of energy storage currently lags the deployment of wind and solar, and if the deployment of energy storage does not keep pace with the adoption of renewable energy, the EU may be unable to integrate rapidly growing renewable energy and be locked into fossil fuel backup energy.
   

The report estimates that overall EU energy storage capacity demand will reach approximately 200 GW by 2030, and at least 600 GW of energy storage capacity will be required by 2050.
   

Rapidly increasing energy storage deployment is critical, requiring at least 14 GW of energy storage capacity to be deployed annually over the next nine years, compared with just 0.8 GW of battery storage capacity deployed in 2020, according to the International Energy Agency .
   

Different member states may already require significant amounts of energy storage capacity by 2030, depending on the proportion of variable renewables in the energy mix.
   

Establishing EU-level energy storage targets and strategies is critical for the development of the energy storage industry, which will provide clear long-term direction for market participants, utilities, investors and policymakers.
   

The report highlights the importance of flexibility and energy transfer services with energy storage as key applications, which are critical to achieving a high level of integration of renewable energy.
    Establishing energy storage targets needs to be based on a comprehensive concept that takes into account carbon reduction targets and the structural changes required in the energy system.