Are battery energy storage systems the future of electricity?

In the electricity sector, battery energy storage systems emerge as one of the key solutions to provide flexibility to a power system that sees sharply rising flexibility needs, driven by the fast-rising share of variable renewables in the electricity mix.

What are battery energy storage systems?

Battery energy storage systems offer power grids key opportunities for better flexibility, renewable energy integration, and reliable power supply by storing excess renewable energy during low demand times to release during peak demand enabling higher renewable energy penetration and supporting global decarbonisation.

What is the future of battery storage?

Batteries account for 90% of the increase in storage in the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario, rising 14-fold to 1 200 GW by 2030. This includes both utility-scale and behind-the-meter battery storage. Other storage technologies include pumped hydro, compressed air, flywheels and thermal storage.

Are lithium-ion batteries the future of energy storage?

While lithium-ion batteries have dominated the energy storage landscape, there is a growing interest in exploring alternative battery technologies that offer improved performance, safety, and sustainability .

Do battery demand forecasts underestimate the market size?

Just as analysts tend to underestimate the amount of energy generated from renewable sources, battery demand forecasts typically underestimate the market size and are regularly corrected upwards.

When will battery storage capacity increase in the world?

In the STEPS, installed global, grid-connected battery storage capacity increases tenfold until 2030, rising from 27 GW in 2021 to 270 GW. Deployments accelerate further after 2030, with the global installed capacity reaching nearly 1300 GW in 2050.