EU Commissioner for Energy and Housing Dan Jorgensen said Europe must complete its efforts to eliminate dependence on Russian gas and fossil fuels, stressing that energy independence, storage, and renewables are key to a sustainable and secure energy future.
"We've come far, but we need to finish the job," Jorgensen said during the "Energy Storage Global Conference" in Brussels.
Noting that several years ago Europe received 45% of its gas from Russia, he said this dependence needs to end. "Now we get 13%, but we need to bring that number down to zero. We can no longer afford to be weaponized against or blackmailed with energy."
He underlined that the EU's energy strategy is part of a broader plan to become independent of fossil fuels.
"It's not sustainable when you are dependent on importing fossil fuels for usually more than €400 billion every year," Jorgensen said. "Instead, we need to produce our own energy. And that energy needs to be renewable also, because the second challenge that we face is, of course, climate change."
Jorgensen noted that the urgency of climate change remains, even if public attention has shifted.
"Every year we break records, unfortunately, with the highest temperatures ever," he added. He stressed the importance of acting fast to avoid the consequences of climate change—droughts, fires, forest fires, extreme weather.
Jorgensen said energy storage is a big part of the solution.
"It's about sustainability, flexibility, helping us electrify our economies," he said. "As President von der Leyen said recently, the future is electric, and Europe will be part of it," he added.
According to the Commissioner, the EU currently has about 89 gigawatts of energy storage capacity, including 53 gigawatts from pumped hydro and 35 from batteries.
"2024 marked a record year for installations with 12 gigawatts of new capacity added. However, we're not moving fast enough," he said. "The EU will need over 200 gigawatts of storage by 2030 and around 7,600 by 2050."
- Every European country to have storage as key component of system
The European Association for Storage of Energy (EASE) President David Post said that the energy storage industry continues to expand rapidly across Europe.
Post emphasized that by the end of the decade, energy storage will be embedded in every national energy system.
"Every single country will have energy storage as a key component of the energy system," he said.
He highlighted that "for the first time this year, utility-scale front-of-the-meter projects will surpass residential solutions," reflecting the growing maturity of the sector.
He concluded that increasing grid saturation across Europe is further accelerating the need for storage.
"Saturation is a keyword that makes it harder for renewable projects to be deployed," Post said. "In general, batteries help keep the grid stable and reliable and can solve part of the grid saturation problem."
By Murat Temizer
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr
