Memory facts series (III) | There has been repeated talk in the media recently of a “boom” in large batteries. However, there is still a huge gap between supply and demand.
“A battery tsunami is rolling in”, was the recent headline in “Der Spiegel”. A “second German energy miracle” is currently in the offing, which could make electricity cheaper than ever. Unfortunately, the subjunctive mood is more than appropriate here, for two reasons:
- Numerous applications for the connection of large-scale battery storage systems are unlikely to be approved or will not be approved for several years – often with far lower capacities. This is because the number of suitable locations is limited. In addition, new requirements from the Federal Network Agency are calling into question the economic viability of some BESS projects.
- In addition, approval and connection procedures often take years, even at good locations. The gap between supply and demand will therefore remain enormous for the foreseeable future. However, according to Fraunhofer ISE, Germany will need a large-scale battery storage capacity of around 100 GW by 2030. This figure is currently only 2.6 GW (see chart).
We are therefore still at the very beginning of a market ramp-up. And in the wake of the debate about expensive and highly subsidized back-up gas power plants, word is fortunately getting around that large-scale batteries are highly efficient and can therefore cover a significant proportion of storage requirements.
In addition, the next “bright breeze” will underline how urgently we need efficient storage systems to be able to absorb surplus electricity instead of having to shut down systems. Every day of delay is a day wasted – for climate protection, but also for the competitiveness of Germany as a business location.
