Ministry wants to stop grid connection avalanche

05.12.2025

Source: E & M powernews

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) wants to limit the flood of applications for grid connections for large battery storage systems in order to secure capacity for other grid customers.

The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) in Berlin wants to regulate the rapidly growing number of applications for grid connections for battery storage systems by amending the Power Plant Grid Connection Ordinance. According to a draft, large battery storage systems will no longer be covered by this ordinance in future. The ministry wants to prevent applications for batteries from hindering the connection of other users such as data centers and charging stations for e-mobility.

Until now, grid operators have had to process connection requests according to the date of receipt and without assessing the likelihood of implementation. However, the existing connection requests for electricity storage systems currently significantly exceed the expectations of grid development planning for the next twenty years. Electricity grid operators have therefore approached the government with a request to remedy the situation.

Association demands taken up

Energy associations had also already called for changes. The German Association of Energy and Water Industries (BDEW) had conducted a survey among transmission system operators and large distribution system operators (we reported). According to the survey, there are currently applications for large-scale battery storage systems with a gross capacity of more than 720,000 MW. According to BDEW, grid connections that have already been approved add up to at least 78,000 MW. The requested capacity corresponds to more than two and a half times the currently installed generation capacity in Germany.

BDEW Managing Director Kerstin Andreae said: "Although storage technologies are important for a modern energy system, they must be integrated into the overall system." Grids at high and medium voltage levels are under increasing pressure due to the demand from large consumers such as data centers, large heat pumps, charging infrastructure and industry. The German Association of Local Utilities (VKU) is also critical of the large number of current applications for battery storage systems.

Industry proposals

The transmission system operator 50 Hertz also sees a need for reform. CEO Stefan Kapferer warned back in the fall that there is a risk of connection points being blocked if the regulation is not amended. According to estimates by the four transmission system operators, without political measures, new industrial areas, data centers or gas-fired power plants could not be connected in many places in the coming years. The number of applications submitted has risen sharply within a short period of time, the majority of which relate to battery storage in the transmission grid.

BDEW is therefore calling for the Power Plant Grid Connection Ordinance to be amended. Large battery storage systems with a nominal capacity of 100 megawatts or more should be exempt, while pumped storage power plants should continue to be covered by the regulation. In addition, more transparent grid connection procedures are needed than the existing first-come-first-served principle.

Grid capacity must be allocated according to economic criteria if demand exceeds supply. Overbuilding, flexible agreements and reservation mechanisms should also play a greater role.

Author: Susanne Harmsen