According to STOREtrack, Polska will be a leader in energy storage implementations in Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe currently falls behind other regions in electricity storage development. Silvestros Vlachopoulos and Jon Ferris of LCP Delta predict a forthcoming shift, pointing to Poland emerging as the leader in this transformation.
As renewable energy costs drop and the move away from coal-based energy continues, Eastern Europe faces a pressing need to swiftly find alternatives to Russian gas. This convergence of factors will accelerate the transformation of electricity markets in the region.
Poland through the eyes of foreign experts
According to experts, Poland has made significant strides this year by introducing comprehensive reforms in balancing markets and promoting a larger presence of energy storage in the capacity market. In the previous year’s auction, contracts were granted to four storage projects totaling around 150 MW, mainly attributed to local developer Columbus Energy and Swedish developer OX2.
These projects are slated for implementation by 2027. There’s a growing interest in auctions within Poland, with over 16 GW of energy storage assets registered. The overall volume and pricing details are set to be disclosed next Thursday (December 14), and more comprehensive results are expected in early January.
By October 2023, projects with a capacity of 9 GW had received offers for connection to the grid from the Transmission System Operator PSE. However, only 6 projects, totaling approximately 1.5 GW, have accepted the proposed terms with the TSO, with the anticipated connection date falling after 2027.
Other energy storage markets in Eastern Europe
The experts behind the market analysis for energy-storage.news have outlined the developments in other Eastern European countries:
Hungary plans to conduct its first auction for electricity storage, targeting a capacity of around 900 MWh by the end of 2026. Additionally, there are considerations for supporting long-term storage initiatives in the country.
Estonia’s energy storage projects have secured funding from the Environmental Investment Center, a state-backed financial institution in Estonia.
Bulgaria is contemplating renewable energy auctions that would entail specific storage criteria. This initiative aims to fund renewable energy ventures amounting to 1.4 GW, accompanied by 350 MW in energy storage capacity.
In Romania, challenges persist in implementing the recovery plan support. The scaling up of EUR 79 million in financing for energy storage projects is proving to be a hurdle for the country at present.
What is STOREtrack?
STOREtrack serves as a comprehensive database specifically focused on European storage projects. This resource facilitates continuous market analysis by monitoring the progress of energy storage initiatives across 28 countries. It offers detailed insights into various aspects of these projects, including the involved companies, their roles, technologies utilized, project milestones, market segments targeted, and the technical specifics of each individual project.
Source: energy-storage.news