STEPS (STorage of Energy & Power Systems) will strengthen the competitiveness of NWE innovative storage providers by using a user-centric, demand-driven approach to bring products closer to market. STEPS will drive down the time energy storage SMEs typically spend on technology demonstration before reaching market maturity from an average of 5 years to 1-2, while maintaining maximum commercial usability.
Tailored energy
As the NWE is increasingly investing in distributed renewable energies (e.g. roof-mounted solar PV), the need for medium capacity energy storage solutions becomes apparent, with a market potential reaching €250bn by 2025. Heavily subsidized batteries from the US and Asia outpace EU suppliers through price-competition, and currently supply 80% of the storage market in NWE. Many of these mass-produced solutions are not tailored to the needs of local market segments including, e.g. housing providers, energy cooperatives and business parks. These use cases could benefit from tailored storage technologies, new technologies or adapted business models (e.g.Storage-as-a-Service).
Innovative NWE storage products are currently stuck at TRL5/6 and face significant barriers, ranging from fragmented regulations & funding sources, limited testing abilities and unawareness of final consumers.
Expectations
As part of the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) programme, the STEPS project aims to strengthen the collaboration and competitiveness of businesses in the region and lead NWE to the forefront of energy storage innovation. More than 50 future end-user of storage will be trained on using a new tool to model their e-storage need with direct links to a portfolio of 250-300 solution providers from NWE. On the long-term, this will position NWE as a leading storage player, gaining up to the 30% of the market with more than 120 new e-storage solutions commercialised and leading to the generation of >1100 new jobs.
STEPS is a project within the Interreg North-West Europe programme. Interreg North-West Europe falls under the European Cohesion Policy and is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
