Battery storage system capacity in EU hit 22GWh in 2024. Italy becomes the 2° largest market with 6GWh installed
Europe reaches 61.1 GWh of battery storage systems: Italy climbs the ranks
Europe now counts 61.1 GWh of installed battery storage systems. Italy strengthens its position, ranking second both in total BESS capacity and annual growth.
Data from the European Market Outlook for Battery Storage 2025
A new year brings continued growth, although no longer marked by the record surges of recent years. In 2024, the European battery energy storage system (BESS) market slowed its pace.
While nearly 20 GWh of new capacity was added in 2023, reflecting an 84% increase over 2022, the latest figures show a clear deceleration. From January to December 2024, just over 21.9 GWh of new BESS capacity came online across Europe. Though the number marks yet another record, year-over-year growth fell to just +15%.
Focusing specifically on the European Union, 18.5 GWh of new BESS capacity was installed across EU member states in 2024.
These numbers are sourced from SolarPower Europe’s latest European Market Outlook for Battery Storage. The report highlights today’s challenges but remains optimistic that installations can and must rebound quickly.
The battery era is only just beginning
“If Europe has already entered the solar era, the battery storage era is only just beginning,” said Walburga Hemetsberger, CEO of SolarPower Europe, in response to the report. “As solar continues integrating across the continent, it’s time for EU policymakers to place batteries at the heart of a flexible, electrified energy system. We urge the European Commission to double down on this front and introduce an EU-wide action plan for energy storage as part of a broader flexibility package. The recent power outage on the Iberian Peninsula is a stark reminder of what’s at stake.”
According to the report, total operational battery storage capacity in the EU reached 49.1 GWh by the end of 2024. Across greater Europe, the figure rose to 61.1 GWh.
The top 5 European battery storage markets
One thing is clear: the growth of battery storage systems in Europe is unfolding at different speeds across countries. Leading the charge are Germany (6.2 GWh), Italy (6 GWh), and the United Kingdom (2.9 GWh), maintaining their positions as the top three markets for the tenth consecutive year. Austria follows in fourth with 1.1 GWh, and Sweden enters the top five with a notable 1.0 GWh of new capacity.
Italy’s battery storage system market gains momentum
A standout trend is how Italy has significantly narrowed the gap with Germany. While Germany’s newly installed capacity in 2024 fell compared to 2023, Italy surged ahead with 6 GWh of additions—largely due to the expansion of utility-scale projects. This segment alone drove a 58% year-over-year increase in Italy’s BESS market.
This growth came despite a sharp decline in residential battery storage systems (-19%) and commercial-industrial ones (-70%).
Thanks to this performance, Italy’s total operational BESS capacity reached 12.9 GWh – second only to Germany. Furthermore, the country added 3.4 GWh of grid-scale battery capacity in 2024, setting a new European record for the segment.
“Italy commissioned 15 times more capacity in 2024 than it did in 2023 (230 MWh),” the report states. “The long-awaited deployment of battery projects contracted in past rounds of the Capacity Market and Fast Reserve Instrument, along with new market-based trading mechanisms, positioned Italy as Europe’s number one grid-scale BESS market.”
Yet this success could have been even greater. Project delays in bringing systems online limited the amount of capacity actually connected to the grid in 2024. “The rollout speed of large-scale battery energy storage systems must keep accelerating to meet Terna’s 2030 target of 58 GWh of new industrial-scale installations,” the report warns.
Battery storage system outlook for 2025–2029
Looking ahead, Europe’s battery storage market is expected to accelerate in the coming years. Under the most likely scenario, 29.7 GWh of new BESS capacity will be installed across Europe in 2025, marking a 36% annual growth.
By 2029, the report projects nearly 120 GWh in yearly installations, pushing total battery storage capacity to 400 GWh across Europe – including 334 GWh within the EU-27.
However, that level remains well below what’s required to ensure flexibility in a renewable-powered energy system. According to SolarPower Europe’s Mission Solar 2040 study, EU-27 battery storage capacity must hit 780 GWh by 2030 to fully support the energy transition.
Read the full European Market Outlook for Battery Storage here
