The challenge of energy storage
Christopher Weßelmann
The ongoing increase in the supply of fluctuating renewable energy and the retirement of flexible generation capacities are changing the requirements for electricity supply. Large-scale battery storage systems are becoming an important source of flexibility, helping to cushion peak loads, alleviate grid bottlenecks and provide system services. Their technical attractiveness stems from their high dynamics, short response times and modular scalability. However, industrial implementation and systemic integration present considerable challenges. These challenges must be overcome before gigawatt-scale battery storage systems can be made widely available.
The focus here is on operational safety and availability. Large-scale storage systems are electrochemical installations that pose risks such as thermal instability, single or multiple cell failure, and cascade effects. Qualified design requires intelligent monitoring architectures, automatic fire detection systems, segmented battery modules and defined local separation concepts. As installations and battery parks increase in size, the complexity of control and protection technology also increases. The ageing of electrochemical systems also depends heavily on load. To ensure operating times of over 15 years, it is essential to have resilient ageing models, adaptive energy management strategies and data-based condition analyses.
Energy and climate policy of the European Union – it’s the economy
Hans-Wilhelm Schiffer and Brian Ricketts
The European Union (EU) stands at a crossroads: unilaterally pursue its climate goals and allow the rest of the world to overtake it economically, or seek a more nuanced approach with global carbon pricing the ultimate goal. The current patchwork of laws related to EU climate targets have added many burdens to doing business in Europe. It is no longer an ideal location for many industrial activities, despite having world-leading process and engineering companies. This paper summarises the directives and regulations that have been adopted to meet EU climate targets and concludes with an open question on whether the EU is well served by them.
Coherent and secure energy policy in Europe against the backdrop of changing global conditions: Perspectives of the operating company InfraLeuna at the Leuna chemical site
Christof Günther
Europe, and Germany in particular, find themselves in a problematic situation with regard to energy policy. The foundations of energy supply that were once believed to be secure – affordable, predictable, available – have been fundamentally shaken in recent years. The chemical industry is not only at the beginning of countless industrial value chains, but is also an indispensable pioneer for the energy transition – for example, in the manufacture of battery materials or preliminary products for the wind and solar industries. However, the ability to fulfil this role depends centrally on a stable, competitive and predictable energy supply. The Leuna chemical site in Saxony-Anhalt is the largest closed chemical site in Germany. With more than 100 resident companies, 15,000 employees and a highly integrated energy and material supply, it is one of Germany‘s critical industrial infrastructures. High electricity and gas prices by international standards and excessive regulatory burdens are a massive drain on growth and competitiveness.
Namibian hydrogen: champagne or mineral water for the German energy system?
André D. Thess, Ralph-Uwe Dietrich, Yoga Rahmat and Moritz Raab
Stationary battery storage in Germany: market development and long-term measurements
Jan Figgener and Dirk Uwe Sauer
The accelerated integration of renewable energies presents energy systems with new challenges in terms of grid stability, flexibility, and security of supply. Battery storage systems are gaining increasing importance, as they enable the temporal decoupling of generation and consumption and thus make a central contribution to the decarbonization of the energy sector. Policymakers require reliable market data to guide expansion efforts. For industry and private individuals, the actual service lifetimes of battery storage systems are additionally of interest, as they determine the economic viability and sustainability of their investment. In the following contribution, we provide insights into both aspects.
Assessment of security of supply in a greenhouse gas-neutral electricity system based on key figures from energy data
Jonas Kaftan and Roland Scharf
A sustainable energy supply is a necessary step towards meeting the world‘s growing energy needs in the long term and curbing man-made climate change. Many countries have therefore set themselves the goal of becoming greenhouse gas-neutral within different time frames. The European Union has set this target for its member states for the year 2050, while Germany already wants to be greenhouse gas neutral by 2045. In particular, electricity generation from weather-dependent renewable energy sources faces the challenge of not being able to provide electricity on demand at all times – in contrast to conventional power plants. Generation data is therefore used to analyse the supply situation. Various scenarios for future energy supply are then developed and modelled. The results of the scenario analysis should show whether and under what conditions a greenhouse gas-neutral energy supply is possible and feasible.
FLNG actively contributes to the expansion of the global LNG supply
GECF Gas Exporting Countries Forum
Conference report: 57th Kraftwerkstechnisches Kolloquium
Sandra Leik
Review of the 2025 vgbe Conference Chemistry
vgbe energy
150 participants, 17 nations, 23 presentations, 21 exhibitors and 3 sponsors – this is how this year’s Chemistry Conference can be summarised in a nutshell, but the varied programme and intensive exchange offered much more than these figures suggest. The vgbe chemistry community met for the 61st time to discuss current challenges and look to the future together.
Review of the 3rd vgbe Information Day: Municipal and industrial electricity and heat generation
vgbe energy
Municipal utilities make a decisive contribution to the energy transition. They reliably supply millions of households and businesses with electricity, heat and water, ensure decentralised energy supply and make a significant contribution to security of supply. Thanks to their proximity to customers and the local grid, innovations, new business models and participation formats can often be implemented particularly efficiently, from the promotion of renewable energies and the achievement of local, national and European climate targets to the switch to climate-neutral technologies.
Review vgbe Conference “Cooling Systems 2025”
vgbe energy
Cooling systems transfer waste heat from industrial processes and power plants to the environment. A wide variety of cooling system designs are used – from small air coolers with fans to natural-draft wet cooling towers. Selecting the optimal cooling system requires careful consideration of economic and ecological factors at the plant design stage, while taking into account the entire process under all operating conditions. The same applies to efficient operation and regular maintenance. These complex topics were the focus of this year’s vgbe Conference “Cooling Systems 2025”. Around 90 participants took the opportunity to exchange ideas on current trends and challenges.
Editorial
Christopher Weßelmann
Editor in Chief vgbe energy
The challenge of energy storage
Dear readers of the vgbe energy journal,
The ongoing increase in the supply of fluctuating renewable energy and the retirement of flexible generation capacities are changing the requirements for electricity supply. Large-scale battery storage systems are becoming an important source of flexibility, helping to cushion peak loads, alleviate grid bottlenecks and provide system services. Their technical attractiveness stems from their high dynamics, short response times and modular scalability. However, industrial implementation and systemic integration present considerable challenges. These challenges must be overcome before gigawatt-scale battery storage systems can be made widely available.
The focus here is on operational safety and availability. Large-scale storage systems are electrochemical installations that pose risks such as thermal instability, single or multiple cell failure, and cascade effects. Qualified design requires intelligent monitoring architectures, automatic fire detection systems, segmented battery modules and defined local separation concepts. As installations and battery parks increase in size, the complexity of control and protection technology also increases. The ageing of electrochemical systems also depends heavily on load. To ensure operating times of over 15 years, it is essential to have resilient ageing models, adaptive energy management strategies and data-based condition analyses.
At the same time, cyber-security is becoming increasingly important. Battery storage systems are deeply integrated into networked IT and OT systems. Control, monitoring, forecasting and market-side optimisation are often carried out via cloud-based platforms. Attacks on communication, data or control algorithms could directly impact availability and grid stability. Therefore, cyber-resilient system designs with segmented networks, zero-trust principles, continuous monitoring and emergency plans that consider both individual plants and interconnected systems are required. Cyber-security must be considered from the outset and incorporated into certification processes.
Another technical challenge is the interaction with the power supply system. Battery storage systems must provide reliable frequency and voltage support, and in future they will need to perform tasks that were previously the responsibility of conventional power plants, such as providing instantaneous reserve or black start capability. This requires advanced power electronics, coordinated control parameters and standardised interfaces. Currently, different cell chemistries, battery management architectures and proprietary software systems hamper interoperability and scaling. Standardisation, test standards and transparent performance indicators can help to overcome these issues.
The supply of raw materials remains a strategic issue. Lithium, nickel and cobalt are subject to volatile markets and geopolitical risks. Consequently, recycling, second-life concepts and alternative materials are gaining in importance. At the same time, regulatory uncertainty surrounding dual use, levies and the differentiation between generation and consumption is creating barriers to investment. Consistent market design with clear roles, grid-friendly remuneration and binding safety requirements would provide greater planning and operational security.
Despite these challenges, large-scale battery storage systems are indispensable for ensuring the stable operation of electricity systems with a high proportion of renewable energy sources. Robust engineering approaches, digital protection mechanisms and standardised processes will be crucial for managing technical risks, systemic requirements and the increasing threat situation in cyberspace. The industry is working to develop storage technologies further, turning them from pilot projects into reliable components of critical infrastructure and thereby strengthening the long-term security of supply in the transformed energy system.