Energy storage sector rises rapidly

What are the main drivers of energy storage growth in the world?

The main driver is the increasing need for system flexibility and storage around the world to fully utilise and integrate larger shares of variable renewable energy (VRE) into power systems. IEA. Licence: CC BY 4.0 Utility-scale batteries are expected to account for the majority of storage growth worldwide.

When will battery storage capacity increase in the world?

In the STEPS, installed global, grid-connected battery storage capacity increases tenfold until 2030, rising from 27 GW in 2021 to 270 GW. Deployments accelerate further after 2030, with the global installed capacity reaching nearly 1300 GW in 2050.

What is the future of energy storage?

Storage enables electricity systems to remain in balance despite variations in wind and solar availability, allowing for cost-effective deep decarbonization while maintaining reliability. The Future of Energy Storage report is an essential analysis of this key component in decarbonizing our energy infrastructure and combating climate change.

How will the energy sector change over the next two decades?

The energy sector’s share is projected to increase significantly over the next two decades: electric vehicles and stationary battery energy storage systems have already outclassed consumer electronics as the largest consumer of lithium and are projected to overtake stainless steel production as the largest consumer of nickel by 2040 ( , p. 5).

How did energy storage grow in 2022 & 2023?

The US utility-scale storage sector saw tremendous growth over 2022 and 2023. The volume of energy storage installations in the United States in 2022 totaled 11,976 megawatt hours (MWh)—a figure surpassed in the first three quarters of 2023 when installations hit 13,518 MWh by cumulative volume.

What role does energy storage play in the transport sector?

In the transport sector, the increasing electrification of road transport through plug-in hybrids and, most importantly, battery electric vehicles leads to a massive rise in battery demand. Energy storage, in particular battery energy storage, is projected to play an increasingly important role in the electricity sector.