German network operators approve grid connection of 46 GWh of storage at medium voltage level

Everyone is talking about battery storage, or more precisely, about the tsunami of applications and the difficulties in securing grid connection for large battery energy storage systems. The German Federal Network Agency (BNetzA) has now published figures on connection requests and commitments for the first time.

In 2024, network operators in Germany received 9,710 connection requests for battery energy storage systems planned for medium-voltage commissioning. These requests correspond to a total of 400 GW/661 GWh, according to BNetzA figures. By comparison, the currently installed capacity of medium-voltage storage systems totals around 2.3 GW/3.2 GWh.

According to BNetzA’s evaluation, network operators issued roughly 3,800 grid connection commitments in 2024, including applications submitted in previous years. These committed projects represent a total output of 25 GW/46 GWh. However, it remains uncertain how many of these projects will actually be realized, as storage developers are not obliged to implement projects even after a connection commitment is granted.

The data originates from a recent monitoring study. Due to system limitations, only 2024 figures were collected initially, but the agency plans to publish data for the current year “in due course.” Further details are available on the Smard platform.

For transmission-level projects, which typically handle very large storage systems, the number of connection requests is significantly lower. At the 50Hertz Energy Market Dialogue, which took place in Berlin on Tuesday, the four transmission system operators reported that they have approved connection commitments for battery storage systems totaling 51 GW for the coming years. Their grid capacities are now effectively fully allocated, though, as with medium-voltage projects, it remains to be seen how many of these large-scale projects will be built.

From pv magazine Germany