Swedish grid operators reluctant to integrate batteries

Swedish solar association Svensk Solenergi has highlighted several structural obstacles to connecting battery energy storage projects to the grid in Sweden.

The association’s Grid connection of battery storage report, billed as the first major review of the regulations for connecting batteries to the Swedish electricity grid, says the hesitancy of electricity grid companies to fully integrate batteries is slowing the expansion of renewable electricity production.

Sweden’s battery capacity increased from 80 MW to 610 MW in 2024, but there is a capacity shortage in the local electricity grid in some parts of the country, meaning some grid companies have long queues for connecting batteries, occasionally leading to projects being denied connection.

The report features interviews with five Swedish electricity grid companies that cite a lack of space on the grid, as well as the fact they cannot predict how the batteries will be used, or how much space they will take or free up on the grid, as key structural barriers to connection.

However, the Swedish Energy Markets Inspectorate (Ei) says there are tools that can manage the batteries to provide space when needed, such as adapted tariffs and procurement of flexibility.

The report reviews the utilities’ tools for using batteries to create flexibility in the grid, with a survey showing they are currently used by grid operators to only a very limited extent.

In response, Svensk Solernegi is suggesting the revenue framework for the grid companies is changed so that it favors flexibility before the grid is expanded. The association is also calling on grid companies to use Ei’s proposed tools so batteries can help create more space on the grid and suggests grid companies should be prohibited from refusing connections due to a lack of capacity.

“Batteries are not a threat to the electricity grid, they are part of the solution,”  said Anna Werner, CEO of Svensk Solenergi. “With the right management, they create space in the grid for the few hours a year that are needed.”