Batteries account for 90% of the increase in storage in the Net Zero Emissions by 2050 (NZE) Scenario, rising 14-fold to 1 200 GW by 2030. This includes both utility-scale and behind-the-meter battery storage. Other storage technologies include pumped hydro, compressed air, flywheels and thermal storage.
Strong growth occurred for utility-scale battery projects, behind-the-meter batteries, mini-grids and solar home systems for electricity access, adding a total of 42 GW of battery storage capacity globally.
Strong government support for the rollout of EVs and incentives for battery storage are expanding markets for batteries around the world. China is currently the world’s largest market for batteries and accounts for over half of all battery in use in the energy sector today.
Investment in batteries in the NZE Scenario reaches USD 800 billion by 2030, up 400% relative to 2023. This doubles the share of batteries in total clean energy investment in seven years. Further investment is required to expand battery manufacturing capacity.
Stationary storage will also increase battery demand, accounting for about 400 GWh in STEPS and 500 GWh in APS in 2030, which is about 12% of EV battery demand in the same year in both the STEPS and the APS. IEA. Licence: CC BY 4.0 Battery production has been ramping up quickly in the past few years to keep pace with increasing demand.
China is currently the world’s largest market for batteries and accounts for over half of all battery in use in the energy sector today. The European Union is the next largest market followed by the United States, with smaller markets also in the United Kingdom, Korea and Japan.