13 October 2023: The Energy Storage Global Conference (ESGC) 2023 was organised by the European Association for Storage of Energy (EASE) on 10-12 October in Brussels, Belgium. The conference gathered almost 400 energy storage stakeholders and covered energy storage policy, market, and technology topics.

 

In the inaugural day, speakers representing the European Commission and Parliament echoed the vital role of energy storage in the energy system. Anne-Katherina Weidenbach, Member of the Cabinet of the Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson, opened the ESGC with a keynote speech, stressing that “energy storage and flexibility services have moved from the background of the energy sector to the forefront.” And on state aid, Alejandro Donnay from the European Commission emphasised that “it's important that member states have the schemes in place to ensure that energy storage can participate in all markets”.

 

Crucially, Members of the European Parliament hailing from different political parties unanimously voiced that energy storage plays a pivotal role. Nicolás González Casares, parliamentarian for the centre-left S&D party and Rapporteur on the Electricity Market Design revision, stated that "without energy storage, it will be impossible to meet our climate goals." Maria Da Graça Carvalho, also a Member of the European Parliament affiliated with the centre-right EPP, highlighted that "time is limited, I hope we do not lose this opportunity for a more forward-looking electricity market design." Mr Morten Helveg Petersen MEP from the liberal party Renew mentioned that “hopefully, in the future Member States will discuss with their neighbours about cross-border storage, in order to further increase renewables." Emma Wiesner, also a parliamentarian for Renew pointed out that "there is no comprehensive holistic policy work when it comes to Storage. Maybe that is one of the biggest homework for the institutions, as if we wish to harness storage's potential, we need to act and talk about it holistically".

 

The first day also featured a series of presentations and panel discussions on support mechanisms for energy storage, system planning, and network management in the context of the future energy grid.

 

On the second day, Elia Trippel, a representative from the OECD, emphasised a crucial point: “There are billions of dollars pouring into fossil fuels. We need to phase out those subsidies and set up corporate transition plans and sectoral targets set by governments." The day proceeded with presentations on the Net-Zero Industrial Act and its potential to transform European manufacturing. Panel discussions addressed also a variety of specific topics: project financing, long-duration energy storage technologies, 24/7 Power Purchase Agreements, and developments in European energy storage markets. Panellists concurred that the demand for energy storage is on the rise, market demand is dramatically increasing, and deployment rates, both in front and behind-the-meter applications, are poised for rapid acceleration.

 

Piotr Szymański, Director at the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre, opened the third day of the conference, pointing out that "thermal energy storage is expected to have a very important role in the energy transition since heating and cooling are half of the EU's energy consumption." Several panel discussions took place, focusing on critical raw materials supply, industry decarbonisation, and how to ensure safety in battery energy storage systems.

 

This sixth edition of the conference attracted 16 exhibitors, almost 400 onsite and online participants, including over 54 speakers and moderators, marking a new phase for the energy storage sector, which is quickly gaining momentum.

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