An active construction of electricity storage systems has begun in Russia

Alexey Belogoryev, Research and Development Director of the Institute for Energy and Finance, commented to the Vedomosti newspaper on the role and mean of energy storage systems in the Russian power industry.

Alexey Belogoryev reminds that there are various electricity storage systems in the world. Energy can be stored in pumped‑storage power plants or in lithium‑ion and other electrochemical systems, he notes. There are also mechanical, thermodynamic, electrical, and chemical storage systems, the expert lists. In his opinion, the energy sector of the future, including in Russia, will not be able to do without the active use of ESS.

Without storage systems, the full‑scale development of solar and wind power generation is impossible, the expert says. Finally, ESS can make it possible to reduce the charges for capacity and electricity transmission, and therefore the final electricity bill.

The service life of storage systems has also increased: now it reaches 15–20 years without major repairs, Belogoryev notes. Previously, a service life of 5–7 years was considered a good indicator, the expert recalls. This significantly reduces the unit cost of energy storage over its lifecycle.

According to his forecast, by 2025, Russia may introduce lithium‑ion storage systems with a total capacity of about another 1.5 GW. This makes it possible to significantly reduce the problem of energy shortages in a number of regions, although it will not solve it, Belogoryev says.