BESS as the New Foundation of the Energy System: A Global Trend and an Opportunity for Ukraine

Global Shift: Storage Becomes Critical Infrastructure

The world is entering a new phase of energy development. According to forecasts from the International Energy Agency (IEA), by 2030 the installed capacity of battery energy storage systems will increase 30–40 times compared to 2022. This is not just a technological trend — it is a fundamental transformation of the architecture of modern power systems.

BESS are evolving from a “supporting option” into one of the key elements of dispatchable capacity, on par with traditional generation. In the global energy transition, they provide reserves, balancing, and the flexibility without which a modern energy system can no longer function.

Ukraine: A Moment for a Breakthrough

For Ukraine, this trend opens a unique window of opportunity. After large-scale attacks on energy infrastructure, it has become clear that resilience is now a critical element of national security. BESS can become the foundation for:

• stabilizing renewable generation (solar and wind),

• supporting agricultural and industrial production,

• powering industrial and logistics parks,

• enabling autonomy for communities and critical infrastructure,

• providing reserve capacity for businesses and hospitals.

Energy storage is becoming what transformer substations were in the 20th century — a basic, indispensable element of the power system.

What the Government Should Do

Accelerating the development of the storage market requires strategic decisions:

• Stimulate BESS construction through grants, preferential financing, and partial CAPEX compensation.
• Launch a market for reserves and flexibility, enabling BESS to earn revenue from balancing and frequency response services.
• Integrate BESS into resilience plans for communities, water utilities, hospitals, shelters, and military infrastructure.
• Create incentives for local battery manufacturing, reducing dependence on imports.

The Role of Local Authorities and Business

Communities should integrate BESS into their development strategies and require storage systems in major renewable or industrial projects. Municipal BESS can ensure the autonomy of critical facilities during peak loads or emergencies.

Businesses need to rethink their models:
generation + BESS = predictable profit, fewer interruptions, higher control over consumption.
For agriculture and industry, this means resilience against supply chain disruptions and stable production processes.

Scaling BESS is an opportunity for Global 100 RE Ukraine to help shape the architecture of the country’s next-generation energy system. It is a space where government, communities, and business come together, and where the entire energy sector moves toward a 100% renewable model.

Storage is not a technology of the future. It is the foundation upon which Ukraine’s resilience, independence, and competitiveness are built.