The EU needs to recognise that all battery technologies have a place in the 100% renewable future for Europe

In an interview with SolarPower Europe, Francesco Gattiglio reflects on trends and challenges in the battery industry and reveals all battery technologies have a place in achieving Europe’s low carbon goals

Aristotelis Chantavas, President of SolarPower Europe, said: “A 100% renewable energy system enables the EU to become climate neutral before 2050, complying with the ambitious 1.5°C Paris Agreement target.”

It is expected that 70% of all renewable energy generation will be paired with energy storage. Batteries play a crucial role in energy storage, from storing the energy from solar panels and wind farms to backing up energy supplies for hospitals.

In terms of production capacity, the annual battery market value is estimated at €250 billion from 2025 onwards. For Europe, the establishment of a complete domestic battery value chain is imperative for a clean energy transition and a competitive industry.

All battery technologies have significant potential to improve in order to help meet the EU’s decarbonisation goals. EUROBAT’s Battery Innovation Roadmap 2030 White Paper provides an overview of the potential for battery innovation across all technologies in the years ahead.

However, there are still regulatory barriers to achieving these carbon-neutral goals, which is why we need a new intelligent approach to regulating chemicals used in battery production. We need a coherent regulatory framework, and we need to ensure that we support the industry in doing so. The EU needs to recognise the strategically autonomous EU lead battery supply chain, and the role it plays in supporting economic growth. We are therefore calling for the fast integration of the Clean Energy package.

It is vital that as an industry, we continue to innovate, conduct crucial research and development, and increase the capacity of battery technology. In my six years at EUROBAT, batteries have increased in density and performance and we will continue to get better.

Consumers and policy-makers are gradually recognising the role that energy storage will play in achieving the EU’s carbon-neutral goals, and, must, therefore, recognise the role that all batteries will play in energy storage.

Listen to Francesco’s interview with SolarPower Europe here.

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