The report reveals the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the energy storage market, with lockdown affecting commercial and industrial, and behind-the-meter segments, while front-of-meter projects proved more resilient. Looking ahead, 2021 looks particularly strong for the sector with new ancillary services opening across Europe and national targets further supporting regional projects.
April 2021 / Policy Papers
EASE Position Paper on the Batteries Regulation Proposal
On 10 December 2020 the Commission proposed a new Batteries Regulation aimed at ensuring that batteries placed in the EU market are sustainable and safe throughout their entire life cycle. The Regulation 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 new Batteries Regulation: although several criticalities are present, it is a step forward to tackle several of the barriers that currently hinder the battery market. Importantly, it considers the “stationary battery energy storage system” for the first time.
The report reveals the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the energy storage market, with lockdown affecting commercial and industrial, and behind-the-meter segments, while front-of-meter projects proved more resilient. Looking ahead, 2021 looks particularly strong for the sector with new ancillary services opening across Europe and national targets further supporting regional projects.
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.
Energy Storage Europe Association responds to the European Commission’s Public Consultations on the Electrification Action Plan and the Heating and Cooling Strategy, highlighting the need for stronger recognition of storage as a central enabler of electrification and heating decarbonisation. This requires clearer policies to integrate storage into planning and investment pathways, along with measures to remove persistent barriers such as high upfront costs, slow permitting, unfavourable taxation, and weak market signals. Storage should be treated as a default element of a cost-effective, system-friendly transition and reflected accordingly in planning frameworks, financing tools, and flexibility market design.
The 9.5 edition of the European Market Monitor on Energy Storage (EMMES) by the Energy Storage Europe Association and LCP Delta, is now available. The EU, UK, Norway, and Switzerland together are expected to reach 100 GW of installed energy storage in November 2025. This milestone represents enough capacity to meet the peak electricity demand of Germany and the Netherlands. With storage capacity forecast to grow by a further 115% by 2030, this will play a crucial role in Europe’s energy transition, creating more space for renewables on the grid.
