Energy Storage is on the Map!

22 October 2021: 350 participants joined the 2021 Energy Storage Global Conference this week. From the 19 - 21 October the spotlight was on energy storage markets, policies and technologies. The attention towards energy storage is on the rise as more and more actors now recognise the key role it plays in achieving the decarbonisation targets.

Mr. Maroš Šefčovič, Vice-President of the European Commission in charge of Interinstitutional Relations and Foresight, opened the conference highlighting that energy storage will be a crucial enabler for achieving climate neutrality by 2050. He stressed “[…]it is essential we develop our vertically integrated energy storage ecosystem in Europe and strive towards open strategic autonomy in this critical sector of the economy […]”.

This edition of the ESGC also marked the 10th anniversary of EASE – The European Association for Storage of Energy, which has been organising this conference since 2014. David Post, Head of BES Solutions Enel X and EASE President, took the opportunity to emphasise how far EASE and energy storage have come: “[…] Energy storage has been put on the map and is becoming a key element of the energy transition, not only to provide more flexibility to the system, but also to shift energy to when it is really needed […]”.

The first day continued with an overview on how energy storage markets are evolving. Speakers and attendees discussed investments trends, new revenue streams and emerging business models and applications.

The second day of the conference provided insights into policy and regulations affecting energy storage. Paula Pinho, Director of the Just Transition, Consumers, Energy Efficiency and Innovation at the European Commission, opened the second day. Echoing previous speakers, she stressed how energy storage is central for the achievement of the EU Green Deal and EU’s decarbonisation objectives. Europe, however, has not been the only focus, as debates examined other regions, such as the United States, China, Australia and the African continent.

The third day focused on energy storage technologies and the importance of competitive, green and safe solutions. Participants were able to discuss ad-hoc energy storage technologies (behind-the-meter, electrochemical, electrical, thermal, etc.) in dedicated breakout sessions. Repurposing fossil fuel plants, environmental and social sustainability issues were also addressed. The value of storage not only for flexibility, but importantly its role in energy shifting, providing resilience, reliability and capacity to the energy system was a key takeaway.

With 350 participants, 130 speakers and 11 exhibitors, this edition of the Energy Storage Global Conference provided valuable insights on energy storage and showcased itself as a leading event for the industry giving access to current knowledge and fantastic contacts in the field.

More information is available at the following link: https://ease-storage.eu/category/esgc/