Panel Discussion

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Recording of Tuesday, June 18, 2024 | The smarter E Europe | Conference Program | Language: English | Duration: 27:08 .

Experts Debate Investment Priorities Between Grid Extension and Storage Solutions in Energy Systems Session

The session focuses on the debate between investing in grid extension versus storage solutions to alleviate grid stress. Participants were asked to vote on which option they would personally invest in, with a majority favoring non-wired alternatives like storage. The discussion highlighted that significant work has already been done on grids and pointed out that implementing non-wired alternatives could take about 14-16 months. Bernardo Mejoso from InterEnergy raised questions about the challenges of finding power applications for fast frequency response services using battery systems, particularly at higher current rates (2C). Mr. Sankara responded by discussing how manufacturers and technical constraints impact these applications, noting examples from Australia where batteries are providing inertia services. Further discussions addressed the demand for specific functions like synthetic inertia from Transmission System Operators (TSOs) and competition among technologies due to TSO service auctions. Concerns about economic viability, resource availability (like lithium), and production capacity of batteries were also mentioned but generally dismissed as immediate threats by experts who believe alternative energy storage methods will fill gaps if needed.

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Sankara Subramanian
ESS- Utility Market Leader
Saft Batteries
France

Rimvydas Stilinis
CEO
Energy cells JSC
Lithuania

Marcel Schepers
Product Manager Flexibility Marketing
EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG
Germany

Patrick Clerens
Secretary General
EASE - The European Association for Storage of Energy
Belgium

Klemens Kaar
Development Director
Corre Energy
Germany

As the world embraces renewables, and particularly large-scale, variable solar and wind power, grid-scale storage, especially batteries, become key. This session will provide insights into improved network development plans and flexibility strategies, address grid congestion and effective capacity management. Delve into case studies of successful deployment strategies and business models for the seamless integration of storage, enhanced grid stability and optimized energy management. Join us for insightful discussions on the future of energy storage, system costs, integration timelines, and the dynamic landscape of large, grid-scale storage.

Further Talks of this session:

Speaker

Patrick Clerens
Secretary General
EASE - The European Association for Storage of Energy
Belgium

To Talk

Speaker

Marcel Schepers
Product Manager Flexibility Marketing
EnBW Energie Baden-Württemberg AG
Germany

To Talk

Speaker

Klemens Kaar
Development Director
Corre Energy
Germany

To Talk

Speaker

Conference Partner

Vitalijus Baranskas
Chief Technical Officer
Energy cells JSC
Lithuania

To Talk

Speaker

Sankara Subramanian
ESS- Utility Market Leader
Saft Batteries
France

To Talk

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The smarter E Europe Conferences 2026 | Conference Program

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Industrial and commercial flexibility is no longer experimental - it is becoming a core part of network operation and market participation. Across Europe, DSOs, transmission system operators (TSOs), aggregators and retailers are moving from isolated pilots to coordinated programs that avoid grid upgrades and deliver real capacity and financial value for all participants.This session focuses on the operational integration of C&I flexibility into routine grid workflows through dispatch, settlement, verification and commercial models. It highlights how flexibility is embedded in daily operations: from automated dispatch and verification tools to new contractual models that reward large energy users for adapting consumption. You will gain insight into replicable approaches for scaling flex portfolios, integrating them into control-room workflows and ensuring fair value-sharing across utilities, service providers and industrial consumers.

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