Welcome on Board Energy Storage NL

The European Association for Storage of Energy (EASE) is glad to extend a warm welcome to its newest member Energy Storage NL who joined EASE in January 2022. Mr Jeroen Neefs, Platform Manager of Energy Storage NL, accepted to discuss with us about the expertise of Energy Storage NL, in energy storage and expectations from this collaboration with EASE.

EASE: Mr Neefs, thank you very much for accepting this interview. We are very really happy to have Energy Storage NL among our members and we would like to know more about your activities in the sector. Could you summarise the most interesting insights from the work of your company for energy storage?

Energy Storage NL was one of the first initiatives in the Netherlands to put energy storage on the agenda. It was established in 2015, back when the topic did not receive much attention from the greater public. At that time we witnessed a growing demand for green energy sources and anticipated that storage technology would be necessary in order to provide flexibility to end users. We never stopped believing in this idea – batteries, molecules and heat storage are essential to providing the reliability of seasonal or shorter term energy supplies.

Our association has always sought to represent the interests of the broad energy storage sector by providing a network to manufacturers, asset owners, grid operators and other stakeholders involved. Furthermore, we continue to push the agenda for a more favourable regulatory framework and stimulate project development among our members. Our growing organisation and public engagement show that this work is only becoming more relevant. A recent example of this is the abolishment of double taxation on energy storage in the Netherlands, which we have advocated for years.

EASE: We look forward to a very fruitful collaboration with you and to receive Energy Storage NL’s inputs for our Working Groups and Task Forces. What created the interest from your company to join EASE?

The market for energy storage is embedded in an international context. Our members do not restrict their perspective to the Netherlands, and neither should we. Business-wise, the supply chain for components of energy storage technology is an emphatically global one. In terms of regulation, we should acknowledge the consequences of European policymaking. Proposals under the Fit For 55 or Clean Energy package are bound to drastically change the game for actors in the energy storage sector.

We see it as a responsibility of Energy Storage NL to closely keep tabs on these changes in the interest of our members. Joining EASE provides the opportunity to monitor important developments and provide input when necessary.

EASE: What is your vision for how energy storage can contribute to the energy transition?

Unlike in our first years of existence, grid congestion has made the case for energy storage undeniably urgent in both the Netherlands and Europe as a whole. Any plan to increase the share of clean energy sources will be halted if there is no capacity on the grid to channel production. When trying to solve this problem, upgrading the grid is necessary but also hindered by factors like intensive construction, long duration and a substantial human capital requirement. Energy Storage NL is convinced that storage technologies may serve as a speedy solution to keep momentum in the energy transition. At the same time, it can serve as a bridge between supply and demand on the longer term, providing critical infrastructure to ensure flexibility and reliability to end users.

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