The Importance of Large-Scale Storage for the Energy Transition and the Stability of the Electricity System

While predictive maintenance has become a well-known concept in battery energy storage, the next step is predictive operation. This approach aims not only to prevent failures, but also to continuously optimize system operation in real time. The goal is to maximize the performance, efficiency and lifetime of the existing hardware in each specific use case. Predictive operation extends beyond the battery cells themselves: Adaptive thermal management, intelligent inverter control and optimal coordination of power electronics all play a crucial role. By anticipating system behavior under different operating scenarios, predictive operation enables asset owners and operators to extract greater value from their storage systems while improving reliability and integration with renewable generation. This session will highlight the latest methods, control strategies and demonstration results that bring predictive operation from research into practice.

This session breaks down the three dominant routes-to-market in Europe and examines where they work in practice, how they are structured, and what risks they carry.

The session explores how EU strategies - under all relevant policy frameworks, including a dedicated Energy Storage Strategy under preparation — aim to scale storage deployment, strengthen flexibility markets, and accelerate integration into a resilient, renewables-based power system across EU member states.

This session brings together banks, developers, offtakers and investors to discuss what is currently financeable, how contracts are structured in practice, and where expectations diverge.

This session highlights their growing role in grid stability, including grid-forming, voltage control, congestion management and system support across transmission and distribution networks.