Against the backdrop of accelerating global energy transition, the European energy storage industry is embarking on a far-reaching expansion process. This measure is not only a crucial step in Europe's energy transition, but also an important signal for the reshaping of the global energy landscape. 
The global wave of energy transition and Europe's pioneering exploration 
With the continuous advancement of global sustainable development, energy transformation has become a key path for countries to achieve carbon neutrality goals. The rapid development of renewable energy has injected strong impetus into the energy transition. However, its intermittent characteristics, such as the instability of photovoltaic and wind power, have raised higher requirements for the flexibility and regulation capabilities of the power system. In this context, the importance of energy storage technology has become increasingly prominent and has become a global focus of attention. Europe, with its first mover advantage in the field of energy transition, has taken the lead in promoting the development of the energy storage industry, contributing valuable practical experience and reference examples to the global energy transition process. 
  

European Energy Storage Strategy: A 'Key Battle' for Energy Transition 
In July 2025, SolarPower Europe, the European photovoltaic industry association, announced the establishment of the "European Battery Energy Storage Platform" in Brussels and set an ambitious strategic goal: to increase the total installed capacity of energy storage in Europe from the current approximately 50 gigawatt hours to 500 to 780 gigawatt hours by 2030, achieving a tenfold growth. The setting of this goal marks a fundamental shift in the position of energy storage technology in the European energy system. 
  
In the past, energy storage technology was seen as an auxiliary means for the development of renewable energy, but in the context of large-scale integration of intermittent energy sources such as photovoltaics and wind power, energy storage has become the core infrastructure to ensure the stable operation of the energy system. For the first time, Europe has incorporated energy storage goals into the main axis of its medium - to long-term energy transition and established a dedicated platform for unified promotion. This measure not only demonstrates Europe's strategic vision in the clean energy transition, but also indicates that the energy storage industry will usher in new opportunities for systematic policy promotion and market restructuring in the next five years. 
  
Energy storage: from "supporting role" to "leading role" 
SolarPower Europe, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association, explicitly states that energy storage systems are no longer optional, but a prerequisite for ensuring stable grid connection between photovoltaic and wind power. With the increasing proportion of electrification in the energy structure, the peak valley difference in the power system is becoming more pronounced. Without strong energy storage support, the European power system will face significant stability risks. The platform manager emphasized that if the EU cannot act quickly, the energy transition process will be delayed and may even endanger energy security and market competitiveness. Nowadays, energy storage capacity has become a key indicator for measuring a country's energy resilience and security level, and its importance is self-evident.  
Challenges and opportunities coexist: the 'crossroads' of energy storage development in Europe 
Despite clear goals, the development of the energy storage industry in Europe still faces many challenges. At present, the development of energy storage in Europe is facing the problem of fragmented regulatory policies, lacking unified access standards and scheduling mechanisms, which greatly increases the difficulty of implementing energy storage projects. At the same time, the income model of the energy storage market is not yet clear, and the investment risk is high, which also hinders the entry of capital to a certain extent. In addition, the complex project approval process and the difficulty of system integration and coordination have become bottlenecks restricting the rapid development of the energy storage industry in Europe.  
However, challenges often coexist with opportunities. The newly established 'European Battery Energy Storage Platform' is designed to address these issues. The platform aims to establish a collaborative path between regulation, capital, and projects, promote the formation of market mechanisms, and build industry confidence. The first batch of participants includes more than 50 institutions such as Statkraft and Sunotec, who will jointly release standardization proposals, promote policy advocacy, commercialization pilot projects, and investment docking work. The goal of the platform is to build a cross-border coordination architecture, improve system deployment efficiency and landing capabilities, and provide strong support for the development of the European energy storage industry.  
China Europe Energy Storage Cooperation: Strategic Window Period Has Arrived 
Chinese energy storage companies have made significant progress in the European market. In 2024, companies such as Sunac, BYD, and Haibosichuang have successively won large storage orders in the European market. For example, Sunac Power has signed a 4.4GWh energy storage cooperation agreement with Fidra Energy in the UK to assist in the construction of two benchmark independent energy storage power stations.   
Europe is currently in a critical period of accelerated energy storage policies and market expansion, which brings unprecedented development opportunities for Chinese energy storage enterprises. Enterprises with internationally competitive technologies and products should actively seize the opportunity of this round of platformization and standardization development, and lay out EU certification, localized service capabilities, and industrial partnerships in advance. Especially those enterprises that can provide integrated light storage solutions and energy management systems will have the advantage of rapid implementation. Chinese enterprises should fully seize the favorable opportunity of the initial construction of the European energy storage platform, actively integrate into the core channel of the development of the European energy storage industry, and deeply participate in it. This can not only expand the international market, but also enhance their own technological level and innovation capabilities.   
Energy storage, a key link in reshaping the new era of energy 
The ten fold expansion target for energy storage proposed by SolarPower Europe, the European Photovoltaic Industry Association, is not only a forward-looking judgment on the trend of energy system transformation in Europe, but also a fundamental reshaping of the entire energy infrastructure logic. From auxiliary support to strategic core, energy storage is becoming a key link between renewable energy growth and system stability. Under the joint efforts of policies, capital, and technology, the European energy storage market has entered a structural growth channel.  
Global promotion and innovation of energy storage technology 
The rise of the energy storage industry not only provides strong support for Europe's energy transformation, but also opens up new paths for global energy transformation. With the continuous advancement of technology and the reduction of costs, energy storage technology is expected to be widely applied globally. As one of the leaders in global energy storage technology, China should actively participate in the formulation of international standards, promote the globalization of energy storage technology, and provide stronger technical support and solutions for the global energy transformation. In the future, energy storage technology will become a core component of the global energy system, helping countries achieve their carbon neutrality goals a