Call For Storage Strategy In Germany

• PV Think Tank says Germany ought to have an official energy storage policy in place
• It should be given same priority as wind and solar energy technologies to ensure clean energy is not curtailed leading to economic and environmental losses
• The organization demands Germany to aim for a minimum of 25 GW for large scale battery storage and more than 60 GW PV-battery storage by 2030

German PV Think Tank says the country must have an energy storage strategy in place 'as soon as possible' because its absence will mean massive and expensive curtailments of renewable energy, eventually leading to 'potentially fatal consequences' for energy transition over the next 5 years to 10 years.

It recommends the nation to target a minimum of 25 GW for large scale battery storage and more than 60 GW PV-battery storage to be realized by 2030. Additionally, the storage strategy should include short-term 'no-regret measures' to quickly expand storage capacity.

The organization makes these statements in a recently released position paper. Calling 2023 a year of energy policy strategies, it says Germany has wasted too much time on storage even though it should be given same priority as wind and solar energy technologies if the country wants its energy transition to be successful without 'unnecessary and costly detours'.

Notably, Germany targets to expand its cumulative solar PV installed capacity to 215 GW by 2030, and onshore wind to 157 GW by 2035. It would generate massive volumes of clean energy which in the absence of a robust storage system may end up going waste, fears the organization.

Calling out the government for not focusing on this crucial element of the electricity ecosystem, authors of the paper want it to explore and debate the current costs and available storage technologies. Having a storage policy in place, that reflects the market and technological developments, will help define the course of action for the entire energy system, they add.

Measures recommended in the paper include both short- and medium-term strategic action points like having a definition for energy storage, to remove obstacles surrounding construction cost subsidy, extending grid fee exemption date, mandatory space for grid connection lines, synchronizing expansion targets with other projects, leveraging the potential of e-mobility with bi-directional charging, market incentives, industrial strategy for local supply chain, among others.

The position paper of PV Think Tank is available on its website in German language.