Battery tsunami in Germany: applications submitted to connect more than 200 GW of battery storage

Projects for battery storage with a total installed capacity of 226 GW are seeking connection to Germany’s transmission grid. That is 130 times the capacity of storage facilities currently in operation. At least another 100 GW of storage projects have applied to connect to distribution grids.

By early January, German transmission system operators had received 650 applications to connect large battery storage facilities with a total installed capacity of 226 GW. That is an increase of around 40% compared with three months earlier, when projects with an installed capacity of around 161 GW had applied.

The boom in grid-scale storage is being driven primarily by falling battery prices and greater fluctuations in electricity prices, caused by the rapidly growing share of renewable energy sources.

Many projects are at an early planning stage, making it difficult to predict how many will ultimately be built. Some developers have also submitted applications for several sites for the same project design. Since connection approvals are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, it makes sense for developers to secure grid connections at an early stage.

According to data from Germany’s grid regulator, 262 battery storage facilities with an installed capacity of more than one megawatt were in operation in Germany at the beginning of the year, with a total installed capacity of approximately 1.75 GW. The connection applications therefore amount to around 130 times the installed capacity of battery storage facilities currently in operation.

Operators said that most applications state that the projects are scheduled to enter operation before 2030, with some planned as early as 2025.

Distribution system operators have also received many applications to connect large battery storage facilities. Operators that are part of the energy company E.ON alone have received more than 2,000 applications with a total installed capacity of almost 100 GW. Other distribution grid operators have also reported hundreds of applications.