With the final vote of the European Parliament and Council of the European Union, the Batteries Regulation will enter into force this year.  

Flow Batteries Europe (FBE) is particularly pleased to see that the policymakers took our call to uphold the technology-neutrality principle seriously and included flow batteries in the scope of the key sustainability provisions of the Battery Passport, such as the carbon footprint calculation and declaration. We also welcome that the flow batteries industry is given some time in order to prepare for entry into force of the new rules.

This is a success for FBE and for the thriving flow battery industry! As reported by the LDES Council, by 2040 long duration energy storage need to have scaled up to ~400x present day levels to 1.5–2.5 TW (85–140 TWh) and consequently, between 2022–40, USD 1.5 tr–3.0 tr of total investment in LDES will be required. This makes it clear why it is important that the Batteries Regulation sets the right legislative framework for the energy storage deployment to thrive in the European Union. The inclusion of flow batteries in the above mentioned provisions will allow for a more comprehensive comparison of energy storage technologies without disincentivising the use of flow batteries for energy storage applications. Flow batteries are a safe, cost-effective and sustainable technology.  It is therefore assuring to know that customers will be able to compare their benefits against other batteries based on objective and standardised criteria across the EU.

Anthony Price, Secretary General of Flow Batteries Europe added “We are glad the legislators heard our concerns. The inclusion of flow batteries will benefit not only the flow battery industry but the entire European energy system as finally the European Union will have a future proof legislation that sets the basis for a sustainable EU battery value chain”.