Grid stability is one of the greatest challenges to the expansion of renewable energy. When wind turbines produce more power than the grid can absorb, they must be curtailed, and the operators receive compensation payments for the lost energy. Nearly 600 million euros were paid to them in Germany in 2024 alone; in UK, operators even received twice as much, a billion pounds. On the other hand, fossil fuel-burning power stations have to go on line during a lull to cover the power demand. Smart energy storage technologies promise to resolve this dilemma.
The new Energy Storage exhibition section, occupying a hall of its own (A2) at WindEnergy Hamburg, will put the spotlight on this subject. On roughly 3,600 square metres of exhibition floor, next-generation technologies such as large-scale battery storage solutions will demonstrate what smart grid control can mean. “We are pleased to provide a focal platform for experts, enterprises and innovators in our new expo section to actively build tomorrow’s energy systems together,” said Andreas Arnheim, Director WindEnergy Hamburg.
Enormous growth, plenty of potential
The evolution of the energy storage market has been nothing short of spectacular: Since 2013, global battery capacity has jumped from below 1 GW to more than 155 GW today. In 2024, annual investments in energy storage amounted to around 60 billion US dollars, and the upward trend continues. Experts are estimating that 1,500 GW of energy storage capacity will be needed to back up the expansion of renewable energy envisioned up until the year 2030. For Germany alone, a study by Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) sets the energy storage capacity requirement by 2030 at 104 gigawatt hours (GWh), four times the amount available at the end of 2025. “A state-of-the-art electricity system must be able to balance supply and demand in real time. We need a policy framework that puts the focus on grids, storage, and the dynamic and flexible interaction of energy supply and demand,” says Federal Environment Minister Carsten Schneider.
Concentrated expertise, key industry players
The new expo section at WindEnergy Hamburg addresses this demand, supported by strong partners: The German energy storage industry organisation Bundesverband Energiespeicher Systeme (BVES), VDMA, Europe’s largest equipment engineering association, the German wind energy organisation Bundesverband Windenergie (BWE), and Hamburg’s Renewable Energy association (EEHH) are jointly organising the conference programme on the Energy Storage Stage in Hall A2 featuring leading experts.
Well-known stakeholders representing various segments of the energy storage value chain have secured exhibition spaces. Among them is China’s Sungrow Energy, a specialist in industrial-scale inverter and battery technology. The German vendor Intillion will showcase comprehensive energy storage solutions covering the full project life cycle. Entrix supplies AI-based marketing solutions for operators of battery storage systems. As a global leader in advanced battery and energy management technologies, Leoch Battery from Singapore will be on site, as well. The company’s capabilities include battery energy storage systems (BESS) as well as sustainable recycling solutions for a ‘greener’ future. The modular FlexCombo 2.0 AC Block recently launched by Chinese company Cubenergy is designed specifically for the requirements of the European market. This BESS solution lets energy companies adapt flexibly to changing power demand while supporting scalability-focused projects.
Enormous dimensions, sophisticated technology
The world’s first transmission network-integrated BESS ensuring comprehensive grid stability is located in Blackhillock, Scotland. Europe’s largest battery storage plant, it serves as a buffer for three expansive offshore wind farms. At a rated power output of 300 MW, it boasts a storage capacity of 600 megawatt hours (MWh). According to the operator, the project avoids over 2.6 million tonnes of CO2 emissions over 15 years. An even larger installation is the “Gigabattery” the energy company LEAG is planning to erect on a ten-hectare lot in Germany’s Lausitz region in Saxony: Its 1,000 MW rated output and 4,000 MWh storage capacity are sufficient to satisfy the energy need of 1.5 million households over four hours. The switchgear needed for grid integration will be supplied by Siemens Energy.
One key element that is crucial for the success of advanced energy storage systems is the smart control of core operating parameters, in particular, the state of charge (SOC), which indicates the amount of stored energy available at any given time. It plays a key role in battery management. “Huawei’s Smart String Grid Forming ESS platform takes a holistic approach that integrates several dimensions, from high-precision SOC measurement and smart calibration to optimised balancing and grid-stabilising capabilities,” says Mohammed Qudaih, Technical Director, Utility Smart PV & ESS Huawei FusionSolar Deutschland. Its powerful SOC algorithm and advanced battery management have earned the Huawei ESS platform the world’s highest-level certificate for SOC properties from TÜV Rheinland.
Highlighting the expertise of the participating stakeholders and the innovative potential of its exhibitors, the Energy Storage exhibition section focuses on just the right subjects, says Claus Ulrich Selbach, Vice President Exhibitions at Hamburg Messe und Congress. “WindEnergy Hamburg is the leading international trade event for the wind energy sector, and by putting the spotlight on energy storage technologies, we are now covering one of the most pressing issues of the energy transition: efficient storage and use of renewable energy.”
