March 2021 / Policy Papers - Responses to Public Consultations
Reply to the Public Consultation on the Batteries Regulation Proposal
EASE has provided a response to the European Commission's Public Consultation on the new Batteries Regulation proposed on 10 December 2020. This Regulation aims to ensure that batteries placed in the EU market are sustainable and safe throughout their entire life cycle.
EASE prepared a reply to this consultation to further improve the Batteries Regulation in a way that is favourable to the energy storage sector. EU law aims to minimise batteries' harmful effects on the environment. The rules cover their full life cycle, from design & production to reuse & recycling. In line with the Green Deal and other sustainability-related policies, this initiative would update EU rules to ensure:
all batteries are produced sustainably (i.e. with low resource consumption and little waste generated) and can be easily recycled
any batteries used in the growing market for electric vehicles are sustainable.
EASE welcomes the proposal for the Batteries Regulation: although several criticalities are present, it is a step forward to tackle several of the barriers that currently hinder the battery market. EASE believes creating a level-playing field is key. Some of the Proposal provisions go in this sense - e.g., the recognition that different types of batteries are needed. In other articles, the focus seemed to lie on specific battery solutions, e.g. the ones currently leading the market, therefore not adopting a technology-neutral approach, with the risk of hampering innovation and competition.
Energy Storage Europe's position paper, "Ensuring System Stability in Europe: The Role of Energy Storage in Providing Inertia", focuses on how the EU can implement a cost-effective and technologically neutral approach to procuring inertia. It also outlines how such an approach can be firmly embedded within a harmonised European methodology for assessing and monitoring inertia needs across synchronous areas.
This position paper, prepared by the Energy Storage Europe Association, assesses the system value of long-duration energy storage, identifies barriers to deployment, and proposes recommendations to better align European energy, industrial, and financing frameworks with the long-term flexibility needs of a fully decarbonised power system.
In this position paper, the Energy Storage Europe Association calls for a shift from today’s “first-come, first-served” queue system to a more efficient, strategic, and transparent framework that recognises the unique value of energy storage for reducing congestion, enhancing flexibility, and making better use of existing grid infrastructure.
Energy Storage Europe Association has published its Position Paper on Improving Permitting Procedures, highlighting the urgent need to streamline, harmonise, and modernise permitting frameworks for energy storage across the EU. Europe needs a fast, fair, and future-proof permitting framework to unlock the estimated 200 GW of energy storage required by 2030.