Volkswagen's Elli Drives Energy Transformation with Advanced Battery Storage Solutions
Volkswagen Group is venturing into a new business segment with its Elli charging and energy brand, focusing on developing, building, and operating large-scale stationary storage systems in collaboration with partners. Elli's industrial energy storage systems will soon supply customers and facilitate arbitrage transactions on the electricity market. By doing so, Elli drives the transformation into a smart energy company, significantly stabilising and boosting power grid efficiency. The first Elli battery storage projects are anticipated to commence next year.
Elli's largest projects in the pipeline boast capacities of up to 350 MW and storage capacities of 700 MWh. These projects could nearly double Germany's total storage capacity of about one GWh. "Germany and Europe need adequate storage solutions to meet rising demand and offset the variable feed-in of renewable energies. Our investment in stationary battery storage systems is a significant step towards sustainable energy transformation," states Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board Member for Technology.
The demand for storage solutions is immense: in 2023 alone, Germany missed generating approximately 10,500 GWh from renewable sources due to insufficient intermediate storage options. This amount of electricity could have powered over 3.2 million electric vehicles in a year. The Fraunhofer Institute estimates a need for over 100 GWh of battery storage systems to manage renewable energy volatility by 2030.
By entering the industrial energy storage business, Elli solidifies its mobility and energy transition leadership. "We see significant financial potential in this business area and the opportunity to evolve Elli into a comprehensive energy provider in Europe," says Giovanni Palazzo, CEO of Elli.