Beyond EU: How global energy storage is entering a new phase
Mayur Andulkar
7 min read
The global energy storage sector is entering a new chapter — one shaped not just by growth, but by transformation. In 2024, the industry broke another record with 175.4 GWh of lithium-ion battery storage installed worldwide — a staggering 67% year-on-year increase. But more telling than the numbers is the shift happening underneath: market leadership is evolving, emerging economies are accelerating, and storage players are racing to diversify, integrate, and scale.
As the market gears up for over 300 GWh of shipments in 2025, the challenge is no longer growth alone — it’s who wins, where, and how.
China, Europe, and the United States still dominate the storage market, collectively accounting for over 90% of global installations in 2024. But this dominance is poised to soften in 2025 as new players emerge, most notably in the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia.
China: Despite lifting national mandates for co-located storage, over 150 GWh of already-tendered projects remain in the pipeline. With continued local incentives and tariff reform, the country is on track to install 112 GWh of utility-scale storage in 2025 — a 9% increase year-on-year.
United States: Utility-scale installations hit 36.3 GWh in 2024, with projections nearing 50 GWh in 2025. California continues to favor longer-duration (4-hour) systems, while Texas opts for shorter (1.5-hour) deployments. Policy uncertainty looms, but the project pipeline remains strong.
Europe: The continent added 9.4 GWh of utility-scale and 9.7 GWh of residential storage in 2024. In 2025, utility-scale installations could double to 18 GWh, with strong growth expected in Spain, Germany, and Greece. Residential demand, however, is plateauing around 9 GWh.
Middle East: A new contender. Though under 2 GWh was installed in 2024, tenders have already topped 50 GWh. Saudi Arabia leads the charge, with installations expected to surge to 13 GWh in 2025.
India: Still in early stages, but policy is shifting fast. Co-located storage is now mandatory for many solar tenders, signaling a pivotal moment for growth.
2024 saw major supply chain consolidation. Leading integrators like Tesla and Sungrow (AC side) and cell giants CATL and BYD (DC side) expanded their global footprints, pushed prices down, and increased vertical integration. This tighter integration from lithium mining to systems integration is reshaping the global energy storage value chain.
Top AC-side integrators:
Tesla
Sungrow
CRRC Zhuzhou
Fluence
HyperStrong
Top DC-side integrators:
CATL
BYD
PotisEdge
Hithium
RelyEZ
Chinese firms dominate the domestic and Asian markets and are expanding westward. US players, led by Tesla and Fluence, are entrenched in North America but are venturing into Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The competition is tightening — and in 2025, we’ll see these rivalries play out across key projects and tenders worldwide.
One of the clearest trends is a growing diversification in storage durations:
In California, 4-hour batteries are becoming the norm to accommodate solar overproduction and evening peaks.
In Texas, shorter durations dominate due to volatility-driven arbitrage.
In Spain, 4-hour BESS projects won major subsidies under the 2024 PERTE program — showing government preference for long-duration assets.
Globally, demand profiles are becoming more nuanced, and suppliers are responding. This shift is sparking innovation in battery chemistry, software control, and hybrid system design.
Public funding and capacity markets remain crucial to unlocking BESS viability — especially in high-CAPEX regions.
Spain’s PERTE tender awarded over 800 MW / 3,500 MWh of storage capacity with up to €193,000/MW in subsidies — covering nearly a quarter of total system cost.
Poland’s capacity auctions have already awarded 2.5 GW of battery storage contracts, with commissioning expected by 2029.
Other countries like Italy and Belgium are also implementing capacity markets and grid flexibility schemes aimed at incentivizing storage buildout.
As the global market enters a new phase, stakeholders must pivot their strategies to match the industry’s evolution. Three core themes stand out:
Market Timing Matters Early movers continue to benefit from high revenue windows in new ancillary services markets (e.g., aFRR in France, FCR in Poland). But those windows are closing fast due to saturation.
Integration Is the New Differentiator Tier-1 players are investing in full-stack capabilities — from cell production to O&M — to gain cost advantages and resilience.
Emerging Markets = New Frontiers Growth in the Middle East, India, and Southeast Asia will outpace mature markets in 2025. These regions are investing heavily in grid flexibility, with tenders that favor co-located, multi-hour storage.
Flexibility is king: Long-duration, grid-forming assets that can operate across multiple use cases are now the preferred asset class.
Policy is the lever: Pay attention to capacity market rules, procurement incentives, and financing mechanisms. Public support will remain the main bankability enabler for the next wave of projects.
Global reach matters: Manufacturers and developers with diverse market access will outperform those confined to saturated geographies.
The energy storage market is no longer a frontier — it's a fast-moving, globally competitive, and policy-sensitive industry. While growth remains robust, 2025 will mark the start of a more selective and strategic phase. Projects will need to be smarter. Partnerships will need to be deeper. And decisions — from siting and sizing to market participation — will need to be optimized across a constantly shifting landscape.
At Re-Twin Energy, we support investors and developers in navigating the evolving storage landscape with AI-powered digital twins that optimize project design and revenue modeling.
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