The European Fee (EC) is being urged to not overlook the potential for power storage applied sciences to ease the continent’s renewable energy transition, as strain grows on policymakers to bolster Europe’s power safety within the wake of the Russia-Ukraine battle.
As detailed in its lately revealed REPowerEU Plan, the EC has set out plans to bolster the safety of the continent’s power provide by bringing extra renewable energy technology onto the grid – however there are considerations that its plans don’t go far sufficient.
In an open letter to EU policymakers, signed by 10 senior power system market stakeholders and commerce associations, it’s claimed the profitable execution of the REPowerEU Plan could possibly be jeopardised until the technique is underpinned by a dedication to deploy power storage applied sciences.
It’s because renewable power technology could be susceptible to disruption, significantly the place photo voltaic and wind energy are involved, which implies there could not at all times be a reliable, instant provide of it on days when the solar isn’t shining and the wind doesn’t blow, for instance.
In consequence, this implies there could also be intervals when power demand outstrips the provision of obtainable renewable energy, however – conversely – there might also be occasions when extra is generated than is straight away wanted, that means the excess will should be saved someplace.
Because of this, the co-signatories of this letter are urging the EC to rejig its REPowerEU Plan to include and champion applied sciences that allow grid flexibility and power storage.
“For this plan to achieve success, it should be accompanied by satisfactory targets and coverage frameworks for the deployment of power storage and different flexibility applied sciences,” mentioned the letter. “They’re essential to allow the secure and environment friendly integration of renewables into the electrical grid, and now could be the time to recognise them because the pillars of the European power transition.
“We consider that if the accelerated near-term deployment of renewable power sources is to achieve success, Europe wants a speedy roll-out of confirmed and scalable applied sciences to extend grid flexibility and allow the secure and environment friendly integration of renewable technology.
“To this finish, battery-based power storage is a shortly deployed, cost-effective and low-emissions answer with the potential to develop into the spine of recent resilient, and decarbonised power programs.”
The letter continued: “Different applied sciences, corresponding to demand-side response, the improved utilisation of present storage potential of pumped hydroelectric and different power storage applied sciences, in addition to the interconnectivity between nationwide electrical energy markets, are all crucial to enabling the European power transition.”
The letter went on to emphasize that power storage applied sciences are confirmed to work, and in a number of markets world wide have changed thermal energy vegetation as a extra economical and low-carbon means of offering safe power during times of peak demand when provides of renewables are scarce.
“Regardless of gaining access to this ready-to-deploy and cost-effective expertise, we proceed to depend on high-emission pure gas-based technology, whereas the Europe-wide targets that will strategically scale up power storage initiatives are but to be developed and embedded in legislation,” it mentioned.
And though there was some low-level deployment of power storage applied sciences inside Europe, its adoption will should be markedly ramped up if the EC is critical about efficiently delivering its REPowerEU Plan, the letter mentioned.
“In 2021, capability market auctions throughout Europe awarded roughly 2.4GW of contractors to power storage, however varied research predict that to extend the safety and reliability of power programs on the continent, we are going to want as much as 200GW of power storage by 2030,” it continued. “Extra modifications to the power market construction and design are additionally required to allow the targets of REPowerEU.”
These embody the abolition of the “not cost-reflective” charges, levies and taxes that hamper the roll-out of power storage applied sciences throughout Europe, the letter mentioned.
It concluded: “We look ahead to working along with the regulators and different market stakeholders, realising the targets outlined within the REPowerEU Plan by delivering applied sciences, options and coverage frameworks to safe reasonably priced, dependable and sustainable power programs for European customers.”