Operational electrochemical storage power capacity in the EU 2020, by country

The United Kingdom has the highest power capacity of operational electrochemical storage facilities in European countries, at 570 megawatts. With the UK formally leaving the European Union in January 2020, Germany is currently the EU member state with the highest operational electrochemical storage power capacity, at 406 megawatts. On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, the U.S. battery storage power capacity amounted to 868 megawatts in 2018.What makes battery storage tech so important?Electricity generation and consumption are not always in perfectly harmony, it being very common to see fluctuations on the electricity grid due to varied demand and supply. In order to secure a balanced generation and consumption flow in the grid, the ability to store excess power is paramount. This technology is especially important as the EU ratified its Green Deal and is looking to make a transition to clean energy. Some of the more widely used renewable sources such as wind and solar are variable renewable energy. They are non-controllable as they depend on weather phenomena and as such their usage may not always be constant. Lithium-ion batteries represent the majority of electrochemical storage projects. Li-Ion batteries have a high energy density and low self-discharge combined with no memory effect, resulting in them holding full charge for a longer period of time compared to other technologies. Additionally, Li-ion batteries have a high cycle efficiency. Worldwide lithium supply is expected to climb to 814,000 metric tons of lithium carbonate equivalent by 2025.High construction costs and limited access to the grid are some of the challenges concerning energy storage today. Furthermore, recycling options for used up materials should be discussed alongside the implementation of electrochemical storages.

英国在欧洲各国中拥有最高的运行电化学储能设施功率，达到570兆瓦。随着英国于2020年1月正式脱离欧盟，德国目前成为欧盟成员国中运行电化学储能功率最高的国家，达到406兆瓦。在大西洋彼岸，美国的电池储能功率在2018年达到了868兆瓦。电池储能技术之所以至关重要，在于电力生产和消费并不总是处于完美的和谐状态，由于需求和供应的波动，电网中常常出现电力波动的现象。为了确保电网中电力生产和消费的平衡流动，储存多余电力的能力至关重要。此技术对于欧盟正式批准其绿色协议并寻求向清洁能源转型尤为重要。风能和太阳能等一些更广泛使用的可再生能源属于变动性可再生能源，它们不可控，因为它们依赖于气象现象，因此其使用可能并不总是恒定的。锂离子电池代表了大多数电化学储能项目。锂离子电池具有高能量密度、低自放电率以及无记忆效应，与其他技术相比，它们能够更长时间地保持满电状态。此外，锂离子电池具有高循环效率。预计到2025年，全球锂供应量将达到814,000吨碳酸锂当量。高建设成本和对电网的有限访问是当前储能领域面临的挑战之一。此外，在实施电化学储能的同时，应讨论使用过材料的回收选项。