Developing energy storage and integrating infrastructure in order to speed up decarbonisation were the focus of an event held on March 1, 2018 in Brussels. The High Level Roundtable on Energy Storage and Sectoral Integration brought together speakers from the European Commission, including Commissioner for Climate Action and Energy Miguel Arias Cañete and Director-General for Energy Dominique Ristori, and the energy, automotive and chemical industries.
In his keynote speech, Commissioner Arias Cañete said: “Energy storage is a key enabling technology for the efficient and secure integration of renewable energy. It therefore will play an important role in the future energy system. Moreover, a cost-efficient energy transition will also increasingly require linking the different sectors of the economy in an intelligent manner, with strong implications for energy storage.”
Two minute (!) pitches of industry representatives centred on the role of energy storage in electricity, gas and heating networks , as well as the challenges and opportunities of sectorial integration: integrating the energy, mobility and industrial sectors with the aim of using more renewables and reducing emissions. Participants from the energy sector had the opportunity to exchange views with representatives of other sectors, such as the transport, fertiliser, steel and refining industries. Much of the debate was based on elements from the ‘Clean Energy for All Europeans’ package and previously published background documents and a Commission Staff Working Document on energy storage, as well as the work of the newly-launched EU Battery Alliance. The EHA is lobbying for an electrolyser initiative to “help” the EC stay technology neutral…. More on sectorial integration at the next WaterstofNet Power to Gas conference on May 7 in Antwerp!