European Economic and Social Committee
TEN/567
Energy storage: a factor
of integration and energy
security
Brussels, 24 June 2015
Information Memo
(509th plenary session)
Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on
integration and energy security (own-initiative opinion)
Energy storage: a factor of
OPINION: EESC-2015-00898-00-00-AS-TRA
1.
Procedure
Legal basis:
Rule 29(2) of the Rules of Procedure
Plenary Assembly decision:
22 January 2015
Section responsible:
Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society
Section president:
Mr Buffetaut
Organisation of section work:
20 January 2015
Study Group on
Energy storage: a factor of
integration and energy security
President:
Ms Cavero Mestre (ES-I)
Rapporteur:
Mr Coulon (FR-II)
Members:
Mr/Ms
Adams (UK-III)
Biermann (DE-II)
Chwiluk (PL-II)
Cingal (FR-III)
Danev (BG-I)
Kallio (FI-III)
Kattnig (AT-II)
Lobo Xavier (PT-I)
Schröder (NL-I)
Wolf (DE-III)
OPINION ADOPTED by the section on 16 June 2015 unanimously (91 votes).
TEN/567 – EESC-2015-00898-00-00-NISP-TRA (EN) 1/2
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Tel. +32 25469011 — Fax +32 25134893 — Internet: http://www.eesc.europa.eu
EN
Expert
Ms Djemila Boulasha (for the rapporteur)
2.
Background
Energy storage is an important factor in enhancing integration and energy security.
While energy supply (electricity and gas), purchasing and particularly networks are discussed
frequently, storage is rarely mentioned.
However, storage is crucial for both electricity and gas. In this field, and more specifically as regards
electricity, techniques have evolved significantly and are continuing to develop (undersea storage,
etc.).
These techniques are now able to boost our autonomy, not necessarily for each individual country but
in an organised way at EU level or for groups of countries.
3.
Gist of the opinion
The EESC has been long supporting a greater share of renewables in the energy mix - a sustainable
system composed mostly of renewables is the only long-term solution for the future of our energy.
Due to their intermittent nature, renewable energies pose a real challenge in terms of storage. Storage
is a strategic issue for the European Union, in order to guarantee the security of the EU's supply and
the viability of the energy market, both technically and in terms of cost. The EESC acknowledges the
existence of different storage solutions, in different stages of technological and industrial
development. It also recognises that alongside its advantages – energy storage can have significant
financial, as well as environmental and health costs and therefore calls for impact assessments to be
carried out to evaluate their impact in all these aspects and their effect on the creation of activities and
jobs. The Committee advocates stepping up investment and research and development in the area of
storage with more European synergies and supports harmonisation of Member States' energy storage
regulations. The EESC encourages developments in gas storage given the importance of this energy
source in particular for the security of supply and calls for a Europe-wide public dialogue on energy
(the European Energy Dialogue) to allow the whole of civil society to take ownership of the energy
transition and to influence future decisions on energy storage technologies.
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