Page 22 - European Energy Innovation - spring 2018 publication
P. 22
22 Spring 2018 European Energy Innovation
ENERGY STORAGE
Energy Storage: Many
Technologies for a Competitive
European Storage Industry
By Brittney Elzarei, EASE Policy Officer
Energy storage technologies the market or in development today: Europe’s research and industrial
are essential for the transition pumped hydro storage, flywheels, competitiveness in the energy storage
to a decarbonised energy batteries, supercapacitors, power-to- sector and to ensure the availability of
system. Energy storage gas, smart electric thermal storage, cost-effective storage technologies for
technologies allow us to decouple molten salt storage – the list goes the energy transition.
energy generation and consumption, on. Each technology has different
both geographically and over time. advantages, making it suited to a PRIORITIES FOR STORAGE
They can provide flexibility at various particular set of applications. TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT
time-scales, from seconds and hours to The roadmap has a dedicated
weeks and months. A ROADMAP BACKED BY INDUSTRY section for each group of storage
AND R&D technologies, which identifies the
Storage capacity will be vitally Given the vast array of different energy challenges, opportunities, and
important once electricity systems are storage technologies and the diverse R&D priorities of each technology.
dominated by variable renewables, players working on them, there is Covering all of these technologies in
meaning that generation cannot be a need to gain a clear overview of one roadmap allowed us to identify
dispatched to match (predicted) each technology’s current status cross-cutting R&D priorities. Cost
demand. Even now, as we integrate and R&D challenges. Then, we can reduction is the highest R&D priority
more and more renewables into the work to align research, development, across all energy storage technologies.
system, energy storage can help the and deployment (RD&D) efforts and This can be achieved through an
system function more securely and issue concrete recommendations for increased focus on materials research,
efficiently while extending the life policymakers. manufacturing processes, and efforts to
of existing assets (for example grid improve integration with other system
infrastructure). Energy storage can also This is the idea behind the EASE- components. Another overarching
support decarbonising the heating, EERA Energy Storage Technology theme is the need to research energy
cooling, and transport sectors. Finally, Development Roadmap, which was storage business cases and to clarify
storage can empower consumers to first published in 2013. Given the the technical requirements and
participate actively in the electricity rapid advances in storage R&D, economics of aggregating different
market by generating, storing, and a comprehensive update to this storage services. Additionally, the
selling electricity. roadmap was issued in October roadmap identified hybrid energy
2017. The roadmap is a joint effort storage systems (combining two or
In order for energy storage to fulfil of the European Association for more technologies into one storage
its vast potential, we need a range of Storage of Energy (EASE) and system) as a top research priority.
cost-effective, efficient energy storage the Joint Programme on Energy
technologies. No single technology Storage under the European Energy Finally, a key priority is to remove the
will be able to meet the challenge of Research Alliance (EERA). It includes regulatory barriers that are currently
providing system flexibility at different contributions from over 80 experts. holding back the deployment of
time-scales. This is why there are many storage in Europe, as this will open
different storage technologies on The roadmap’s aim is to strengthen the door for large-scale deployment
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