Global battery storage capacity set to rise sixfold by 2030

GlobalData is forecasting yet another sharp acceleration in battery deployment across the world, as electricity demand grows and power systems absorb more wind and solar. 

Its latest analysis puts worldwide BESS capacity at around 1,300 GW by 2030, up from 224.8 GW in 2025, with China and the US expected to remain the largest markets. 

The prediction by GlobalData is broadly consistent with the direction of travel identified by the International Energy Agency. The IEA has previously said global energy storage must reach 1,500 GW by 2030 in its net zero scenario, with batteries providing 1,200 GW of that total – meaning we’re well on track to meet that goal.

The UK is already well into its own build-out. Government figures show that grid-scale battery power capacity reached 7.5 GW by the end of 2025, following the energisation of 2.3 GW during the year. The Clean Power 2030 plan requires that figure to reach 23-27 GW, meaning Britain still needs roughly three to four times its existing power capacity before the end of the decade.

While it is an ambitious target to meet, there’s no shortage of projects being proposed. In fact, there may already be too many battery schemes competing for the available network and market opportunity. 

DESNZ and Ofgem said in April that the Gate 2 connections pipeline contained 14.8 GW more battery capacity than the upper end of the 2030 target and 61.7 GW more than projected system need in 2035. 

While it makes the connections queue more difficult to manage, as it’ll obscure projects that are more viable, connections, location and project maturity will increasingly determine which assets actually get built. It’s a similar issue that has been identified in the data centre market, where there’s a lot of speculation that may not actually materialise. 

Newer BESS installations may also look different to what is currently in the market, as duration is becoming more important. GlobalData argues that the international market is moving towards four-hour systems as storage shifts from short frequency-response work towards moving larger volumes of renewable electricity between parts of the day. 

Britain’s existing fleet has largely consisted of one- and two-hour lithium-ion assets, although a UK Government assessment expects four-hour batteries to become more common. 

Rehaan Shiledar, Power Analyst at GlobalData, noted, “Energy shifting has become the fulcrum of the battery storage value proposition, recasting batteries from ancillary grid-support tools into system-critical infrastructure. By absorbing surplus renewable output and redeploying it into periods of higher demand and pricing, batteries bolster reliability, curtailment, relieve network congestion, and reduce reliance on peaking generation. 

“As costs continue to decline and projects more effectively monetize stacked revenue streams, supported by government mandates, energy shifting will remain the principal catalyst for battery storage deployment and a cornerstone of high-renewables power systems.”