PowerMAX – Maximizing Grid Integration and Optimization of Long Duration Energy Storage to synergize Revenue Streams

PowerMAX develops a suite of modelling tools that combine high-resolution market simulation, grid expansion analysis, and techno-economic optimisation of long duration energy storage (LDES) technologies. These tools are designed to represent multiple market timeframes and to evaluate how LDES contributes to flexibility, system adequacy, and resilience. Three storage technologies (molten salt, hydrogen, and lithium-ion battery) are implemented in demonstration sites in Spain, Italy, and Canada, with detailed operational data used to validate models and control strategies at TRL 7. Digital twins are developed to represent both the technical behaviour of storage assets and their interaction with power markets and grid constraints, enabling systematic assessment of design options and investment pathways. Open-source software and harmonised data structures ensure replicability and uptake by the research community and system operators. Replication cases in Norway and Bolivia test the robustness of the methods across different grid and market conditions. PowerMAX also develops business models and market design recommendations to support large-scale LDES deployment.

Background

The REPowerEU plan established a target for renewable energy to account for at least 42.5% of the EU final energy consumption by 2030. However, the variability and intermittency associated with a renewable-dominated electricity system create a growing need for cost-effective storage solutions capable of balancing supply and demand across different timescales, from intraday and daily to seasonal. Long-duration energy storage (LDES) can provide multi-hour to multi-day (up to seasonal) energy balancing, while deferring investments in grid and generation infrastructure and reducing reliance on fossil-based electricity. With low operating costs and no exposure to fuel price volatility, LDES can also strengthen energy security and resilience to geopolitical disruptions. Therefore, LDES is a key enabler of a resilient, renewable-based European energy system, transforming intermittent renewable generation into firm, dispatchable power while supporting deep decarbonisation, affordable and secure energy supply.

Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 will require the rapid scale-up of both renewable generation and energy storage technologies. Europe is estimated to need about 200 GW of storage by 2030 and at least 600 GW by 2050, with LDES expected to provide a significant share of this capacity. With a global energy storage target of 1.5 TW by 2030 established at COP29, momentum is growing to demonstrate LDES technologies at scale and maximise their value across different applications and markets. A synergistic portfolio of LDES will be central to unlocking this rollout. PowerMAX will address this challenge by developing a detailed technological roadmap for multiple LDES technologies across different European electricity grids, with strategies for global replication in Canada and Bolivia.

Aim and objectives

Develop an advanced spatial-temporal modelling framework for optimising LDES integration in cross-regional grids
Enable LDES deployment through open-source tools, cloud-based platforms, and digital twins
Demonstrate LDES revenue stacking strategies for multiple services
Identify business models that increase LDES operational revenues by up to 40%, accelerating large-scale deployment
Set up a Stakeholder Forum to bridge gaps between technical innovation, market needs, and public policy