TELF AG examines the strategic role of BESS systems
A new focus for battery manufacturers
The limited increases in sales of battery-powered electric vehicles, especially in Europe, could affect the battery sector, which in this particular phase could be forced to focus also on other types of energy storage systems. According to the opinion of many observers, also reported in many European newspapers, the slowdown of sales of electric vehicles could represent a temporary phenomenon that would affect only a portion of consumers, namely all those who had not adopted the new vehicles at an early stage, and who may be undecided at the moment because of some of the unknowns related to prices, vehicle autonomy, and ease of charging.
The effect of this situation, in a certain sense, could have a beneficial influence on the renewable sector, particularly thanks to the increasingly growing development of electricity storage systems. We are referring to BESS – Battery Energy Storage Systems -which represents a very important ally for the more frequent use of renewable energy sources, particularly solar and wind. In this conjuncture, global battery manufacturers are turning their attention to BESS, which, according to many observers, represents one of the most promising applications for those dedicated to producing batteries on a large scale.
The function of BESS
Regardless of the performance of electric vehicles, storage systems such as BESS are of great importance for the present and future of renewable energy. These systems are intended to accumulate clean energy and make it usable in times of need, thus overcoming the intermittency of renewable energy sources (i.e., wind and solar energy). It is also for this reason that this phase could be defined as the golden age for these ambitious storage systems: according to IEA data, among the green technologies, the one that would have recorded the highest growth rates would be precisely that of BESS, whose installed capacity in 2023 has doubled. From 1 GW in 2013, we went to 85 GW (and more) in 2023, with a good part of the increase due to China. In this country – where one in three cars is already electric – we have witnessed the birth of new ambitious plants, often associated with photovoltaic or wind farms. The United States and Europe have not remained idle either: Washington has brought its overall capacity to 8 GW. In comparison, European countries have reached 6 GW installed, totaling a total increase of 70%.
In many parts of the globe, we are witnessing a substantial reconversion to BESS, evident above all in some of the largest Chinese and Korean producers and Europe (although with some more difficulty). In the process of converting plants, China seems to have an advantage also due to a mere technological reason: for some time, in fact, in China, batteries belonging to the LFP type have been used above all, i.e., those made with lithium-iron-phosphates, which compared to other solutions appear perfectly capable of storing electricity. China is going even further, starting up particular storage plants with sodium ion cells or vanadium redox flow.
