The first grid-scale battery storage project in the UK was a 50MW system that became operational in 2021.  Since then, and thanks to a combination of government policy, ambitious targets, demand for grid stability, and revenue opportunities from energy arbitrage and market services, the market has boomed.

But how repeatable is this UK development case study in supposed hot ticket EU markets such as Ireland, France, Italy, Germany, Spain and Poland? Are developers unlocking meaningful enough gains, what lessons have been learnt and importantly, are investors able to see long term stability, beyond any industry hype?  And what are the array of different structures / strategies coming through?

How has EU market growth impacted global energy storage investment flows?  Are new investors coming into energy storage? Are US investors responding to regulatory and tariff uncertainty by redirecting their efforts to Europe?

How pronounced is the shift from short-duration, ancillary service-focused offtake agreements to longer-duration tolling agreements?

While most projects, and almost all development portfolios, will take a blended approach to revenue generation and risk management, what is the investment community looking for? How will this evolve as new kinds of investor enter the BESS scene? How can tolling structures be optimised to maximise BESS’ appeal to investors?  What role can partial tolls play?

With a 13GW pipeline, Harmony Energy is one of the UK’s leading energy storage investors having executed a disciplined investment strategy focused on scalable returns and long-term value creation.  The sale of eight UK sites to Foresight Group in 2025 turned heads – but as the developer looks towards 2030, what’s next? This candid interview, will investigate Harmony’s strategy for mobilising capital to unlock new markets, partly by co-locating solar assets with batteries.

Paul will share insights into current and planned investment initiatives, including Harmony’s expansion of its battery energy storage system (BESS) portfolio and ambitious solar developments, as well as gaining an understanding of the role of strategic asset realisations, asset rotation and asset optimisation strategies.  This session will be chaired by Ed Porter, Director, EMEA, APAC, Modo Energy. Please note that the session will be recorded for a future edition of the Transmission podcast.

In 2025, over 21GW of offshore wind, solar, PV and agrivoltaics and energy storage was up for auction in key EU auction tenders.  To date, just a fraction of this total has been focused on energy storage.  The UK has led the way, with many other EU territories now opening up government frameworks.

However, the recent MACSE tender in Italy closed with record low prices and wider EU frameworks are much discussed but few have yet to come to drive development at scale.  Which markets will move first, under what structure and why?

How to build a multi-market investment platform that has the capacity to scale?  We investigate how and why this notable developer has unlocked meaningful scale across multiple markets.  The session will include a candid discussion on risk appetite, new market assessments, supply chain strategies and tactics and the importance of capital recycling.

Batteries can be used in a number of different ways to better balance the grid but which approaches will offer the best returns for investors? How viable is the use of longer duration batteries to elongate energy shifting periods? Should batteries be used more as a “non-wires alternative” while waiting for transmission upgrades? What could be done to reform capacity markets to better reward flexibility and duration not just availability? Can energy storage reduce the need for expensive grid upgrades? This session will explore these options and assess which offer the best value for investors.

What are the biggest risks posed to energy storage assets and what can be done to address them in a way that provides investors with reassurance? Is the biggest single risk, simply grid connection? What does this do to the long-term cost of capital? And if so, what can developers and investors really do about this?

BESS is attracting increasing interest from institutional capital, but as a relatively new asset class it brings a unique set of commercial, technical and revenue risks. As investment in BESS portfolios grows, the relationship between lenders, offtakers and sponsors is becoming central to navigating these risks and unlocking long term value.

This session will explore how offtake agreements are being structured to support investment in BESS assets, and how collaboration between lenders and offtakers can help optimise returns for investors. The discussion will also consider how a data-hungry energy market may shape future offtake agreements.

In advance of the conference, Tamarindo is hosting a series of private roundtables.  These roundtables will focus on key technologies that relate to the energy transition, specifically wind, solar and energy storage.

To find out more about the roundtables, visit our roundtables page and to request information to either sponsor or attend, please email events@tamarindo.global for full details.  The day before the conference, a private, invitation-only speakers’ dinner will take place, for the benefit of all speakers and contributors at roundtables and the conference.

Find out more about roundtables here.

Ahead of the conference, a private, invitation-only speakers dinner will take place, for the benefit of all speakers and contributors at roundtables and the conference.