EU signs historic energy‑storage pact to add 200 GW capacity by 2030

The European Union signed its first three‑party agreement dedicated to rapidly expanding energy‑storage capacity. The deal commits member states to increase the bloc’s installed storage from about 55 GW today to roughly 200 GW by 2030, with an intermediate goal of adding 30‑35 GW of new capacity by 2028. Hungary pledged to build 700 MW of new storage by 2028, while the overall EU target foresees 30–35 GW of additional capacity between 2026 and 2028 (up to 45 GW under the full text).

The agreement aims to smooth the mismatch between intermittent renewable generation and demand, reducing reliance on gas‑fired plants, stabilising electricity prices and improving grid resilience. As Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPowerEurope, said, the pact “turns storage from an enabling technology into a delivery priority.” Deputy Secretary‑General Jacopo Tosoni warned that without flexible storage the EU will waste cheap renewable power and face higher industry costs.

Key actors include the European Commission, energy ministers from 22 member states, battery manufacturers, renewable‑energy developers, industrial consumers and financiers such as the European Investment Bank. The plan also envisions a surge in commercial‑ and industrial‑scale battery installations, from 9 GWh in 2026 to about 24 GWh in 2028, and a three‑fold rise in storage‑backed power‑purchase agreements.