What are the roles of battery storage and hydrogen in the clean energy system of the future? Matthias Simolka, a consultant at Germany-based TEAM CONSULT takes a look at the roles each plays today and where we might see the dynamics go from here, with regard to everything from large-scale renewables integration to electric transport. Co-authored by Madjid Kübler, managing director at TEAM CONSULT and Jens Jens Völler, head of business unit, gas, at TEAM CONSULT.
Renewable energy needs to be stored in order to make it available at all times and for mobile applications. In recent years, batteries and hydrogen technologies moved into the centre of attention as means of storage for renewable energies. For both technologies, stationary and mobile applications are available. But are these technologies competitors in the market and is one more advantageous than the other, resulting in the displacement of the less competitive technology? Or are they complementary and necessary for the overall energy system to maintain grid stability while integrating more and more renewable energies?
In the following, we analyse the current situation in Germany and provide an outlook for both technologies.
The German word “Energiewende” is often used, even in an international context, in conversations about the transition of the energy system from fossil to renewable energies, indicating Germany’s pioneering role in the global energy transition. The central features of the “Energiewende” are the decarbonisation of energy supply and the switch to renewable energies, which so far have been mainly taking place in the electricity system. The main challenge posed by renewable energies is their fluctuating generation of electricity, which impedes a stable and demand-actuated provision of energy. Over the years, the increasing share of renewable energies has led to higher load changes (feed-in gradients) in the power grid (see Figure 1 below).
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