Battery storage requirement in Lower Austria: The expansion is so urgent!

Niederösterreich benötigt bis 2040 den größten Ausbaubedarf an Batteriespeichern in Österreich für eine erfolgreiche Energiewende.
Lower Austria will need the greatest need for battery storage in Austria by 2040 for a successful energy transition. (Symbolbild/ANAGAT)

Battery storage requirement in Lower Austria: The expansion is so urgent!

In Austria, you head for the energy transition with big steps, and the expansion of battery storage players plays a central role. A current study shows that the need for storage solutions will increase significantly by 2040. Particularly noteworthy should be emphasized, which leads the list with a need of 2,412 megawatts of battery storage by 2040 and thus has a share of around 28 % of the total needs. Currently only 193 megawatts are installed in Lower Austria - so there is still a lot of room for improvement. These findings were compiled by several institutions such as PV Austria and the Technical University of Graz as part of the initiative in 2040 and illustrated that without the targeted expansion of memory solutions, the desired climate neutrality cannot be achieved by 2040, such as the Kurier reported.

The study emphasizes the urgency of the topic: by 2040, the electricity requirement in Austria will double to around 125 terawatt hours. At the same time, the flexibility requirement grows six times. The meaning behind it? The production of electricity from renewable sources often does not match the tips of the consumption, especially if you look at the current photovoltaic use. To solve this problem, battery stores have to be expanded because they are crucial for the integration of renewable energies. The added that the need for battery storage solutions by 2040 even to 8.7 Gigawatt could increase what a despicable subject is in comparison to today.

The challenges of storage needs

Despite the great need, battery storage is currently facing challenges. Large storage tank, for example, must fight with double network fees, which can reduce their economy. However, changes in the Electricity Administration Act (ELWG) could improve and encourage them to invest more in these technologies. Another problem is the limited approval for large battery storage power plants, although these should be relatively easy to handle compared to other construction projects.

A look at the regional conditions shows that in addition to Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Styria are also important for the expansion of battery storage. These three federal states complement each other and are responsible for over 60 % of national needs. For the energy transition, it is crucial that the storage solutions with renovable energies grow synchronously. The potential of using e-car batteries for network stabilization could also play an interesting role here. The availability of innovative storage solutions will be of central importance in the coming years, as some experts emphasize.

A look into the future

The numbers are clear, the need for action is obvious. By 2030, the installed performance should increase to an average of 674 megawatts per year before the rate could go back to 350 megawatts per year after 2030. The expansion of pumped storage power plants is also a topic that must not be neglected. The upper limit for their construction is almost reached, and so creative solutions must be found in order to be able to cover the flexibility needs in the power grid reliably in the future.

The way to climate neutrality is not an easy one, but with the right package of measures we could make the necessary progress. So let's roll up the sleeves and push the expansion forward - because no energy transition without storage!

Details
OrtNiederösterreich, Österreich
Quellen