Europe’s energy storage capacity to reach 100 GW this year, more than double by 2030

Energy storage in Europe has been expanding rapidly since 2020, with the total installed capacity in the European Union, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Switzerland set to reach 100 GW by the end of November. Pumped hydro storage has the largest share of the existing capacity, 50.6 GW, followed by batteries, with 44.8 GW of operating power, according to an analysis by LCP Delta and Energy Storage Europe.

All energy storage technologies combined are expected to grow by 115%, to 215 GW, by 2030, expanding at a rate of 20 GW to 25 GW per year, according to the report, titled the European Market Monitor on Energy Storage. On November 1, the cumulative figure stood at 99.3 GW.

Battery storage capacity has seen stronger growth than pumped storage hydropower plants this year, with 4 GW of new utility-scale installations, and is projected to expand to 163 GW by 2030.

Battery storage capability is expected to reach 163 GW by 2030

Of the total 44.8 GW of battery capacity, large-scale systems connected to the grid (front of the meter) account for 17 GW, and systems installed on the customer’s side (behind the meter) for 27.8 GW.

According to the report, 18 million homes have a solar system, and four million have battery storage. Residential battery sales are now stabilizing following the 2022-2023 peak, with recovery expected from 2027, supported by a rebounding PV market, rising electrification of homes and transportation, dynamic tariffs, and new financing models.

Europe has 18 million solar homes and four million homes with batteries

Germany has the largest number of home battery systems, 2.1 million, followed by Italy, with 780,000, the UK, with 280,000, Austria, with 200,000, and Belgium, with 160,000.

Jacopo Tosoni, Head of Policy at Energy Storage Europe, hailed energy storage as the fastest-growing clean technology in Europe, with the potential to become the engine of its competitiveness, according to a press release from the association.

Silvestros Vlachopoulos, Energy Storage Research Lead at LCP Delta, said that reaching the 100 GW energy storage capacity marks a key moment for the industry, setting the stage for an even faster renewable energy growth in the coming years.

LCP Delta and Energy Storage Europe believe the energy storage industry is only just getting started and will continue to make a substantial contribution to Europe’s energy transition, according to a press release from the association.