Deepen the value of flow batteries among storage alternatives for the sustainable transition of the European energy system

Unofficial AI-generated summary based on the public title and abstract. Not an official translation.

🔬研究者:Provides performance and cost targets for flow batteries in system-level modeling, useful for energy storage researchers.

🏢実務担当者:Offers actionable adoption timelines and regional insights for energy planners and storage investors.

🏛政策担当者:Highlights the need to support flow battery R&D and deployment policies to fill the 8-20h storage gap.

The net-zero transition of the energy system at the international scale implies a high penetration of renewable generation, which involves risks of adequacy and security due to unpredictable fluctuations in the electricity demand/offer balance. The grid structure can be improved to mitigate imbalances, but ultimately, storage plays a crucial role in the system’s stability. Mature conventional technologies include lithium-ion batteries for a shorter storage duration and pumped-hydro for a longer storage duration. Among emerging technologies, hydrogen is suitable up to seasonal implementation, and redox electrochemical flow batteries are promising candidates for a storage duration in the weekly range. The latter are still not widely adopted to date due to high costs, low energy efficiency, and the use of critical materials, among other factors. However, recent technological improvements, such as membrane-less flow batteries, open a promising avenue, with several possible advantages over or complementary to existing storage technologies. This study assesses the configurations of energy and storage mixes for a cost-effective, decarbonized Europe under different climate scenarios. In particular, the design parameters of flow batteries are investigated to unfold their potential role in supporting the sustainable transition, compared to other storage options. Based on the results, flow batteries offer some competitive economic advantages, especially in the 8-20 hours range. The expected adoption rate is around 15% of the European storage mix in 2050, with introduction starting by 2030-2035. This is true given a Round Trip Efficiency (RTE) above 70%, a lifetime longer than 20 years, and cost curves below 2500 to 1300 [€/kW] and 300 to 150 [€/kWh] between 2025 and 2050, respectively. Countries with high solar potential and limited hydro, such as southern Europe, will benefit from flow batteries the most, with an expected large adoption of up to 50%. Furthermore, flow batteries can increase the resilience of the energy system against sub-weekly adverse weather events. An adoption rate of up to 30% would be beneficial in regions that experience low-wind events during periods of high winter heat demand. Overall, hydrogen storage is expected to dominate the European energy mix (with an adoption rate of around 70%), meeting the critical need for long-term storage (>50 hours to seasonal) and complementing the limited capacity of pumped hydropower (around 10%). Lithium-ion batteries will complete the mix (with an adoption rate of around 5-10%), primarily for very short durations (around 1-4 hours).

• openalex http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11850/798670first seen 2026-05-05 19:13:34