The Rise Of Battery Storage And Its Implications For The Renewables Sector

Jim Simpson, partner, and Chris Shelton, associate at Winston & Strawn, examine the potential for battery storage across the GCC and why Africa can provide inspiration.

THE UPWARD TREND of renewables has grabbed headlines over the last few years, particularly due to the falling costs of solar photovoltaic (PV) power and countries increasing their renewable commitments in the wake of the Paris Agreement reached at COP21.

The Middle East, in particular, is undergoing a significant transformative period, as it moves to diversify away from its oil sector and reach its renewable energy targets. Specifically, the UAE is aiming to produce nearly half of its electricity via renewables by 2050, whilst Saudi Vision 2030 includes a target of 9.5 gigawatts by 2050.

Renewable energy sources like the sun and wind are affected by location, weather, and time of day. It therefore follows that renewables energy generation creates a variable supply of energy. Intermittent renewables are challenging as they disrupt the conventional methods for daily operation of the grid. The power fluctuates over multiple time horizons, forcing the grid operator to adjust its day-ahead, hourahead, and real-time operating procedures.

In order for the Middle East to achieve its sustainable energy goals, policy makers and procurers need to strongly consider the intermittency of renewable energy supply and look to viable storage solutions to ensure long-term success and uptake.

Storage, including battery storage, may provide the solution, smoothing out the inconsistent output from renewable sources by increasing the reliability of energy supply and storing excess energy when demand for power is low. Batteries also reduce carbon dioxide emissions and can respond in milliseconds to increased grid demand, unlike fossil-fuel plants, which can take up to a few hours to ramp up.