The energy transition is a long time coming – in particular because transmission grids have been slow to expand. Many advocate additional electricity storage solutions as a potential alternative, believing they could take the pressure of grids. However, a study by scientists at the Humboldt University of Berlin and Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg only partially supports this theory. According to the study , the opposite may in some cases be true – for example when storage capacities in the south of Germany are used to store cheap wind energy from the north of the country: In this case, the use of storage puts additional strain on the north-south transmission lines. A model that the researchers claim can be used worldwide and that facilitates more effective future planning of electricity systems was designed for the study.

In other countries too, electricity storage is also deemed a key factor for the energy supply of the future. State-owned electricity producer EDF in France has announced an €8 billion investment in the technology, or more specifically in its expansion – with the goal of becoming the European market leader by 2035.