Romania risks turning energy storage into a new speculative business instead of using it to reduce prices and increase energy security, warns Dumitru Chisăliță, president of the Intelligent Energy Association (AEI).
In an analysis published on Sunday, the specialist argues that the development of batteries is being driven more by commercial interests and the possibility of quick profits rather than a coherent strategy for the energy system.
"Storage has been treated as a commercial opportunity"
Chisăliță states that Romania has approached the issue of energy storage late and fragmented, even though it should have been integrated from the beginning in the development of renewables and energy networks.
"Instead of being planned as critical infrastructure, integrated with the development of renewables, networks, prosumers, flexible consumption, and balancing services, storage has been (and still is) treated too much as a momentary commercial opportunity," he says.
According to him, Romania has rapidly developed solar and wind capacities and encouraged the emergence of prosumers, but without simultaneously building the necessary infrastructure to balance the system.
"Solar and wind capacities have been installed, but the elements that were supposed to make the system functional - storage, network adaptation and development, smart metering, digitalization, flexibility - have lagged far behind," says Chisăliță.
"Only batteries are being discussed"
The president of AEI criticizes the current emphasis almost exclusively on installing batteries, without a broader discussion about the types of technologies needed for the stability of the energy system.
"Today we see that there is a push at all levels to install batteries. There is no discussion about a storage system with a mix of technologies that would meet the various needs of an energy system. Only batteries are being discussed," he argues.
He warns that without a clear strategy, Romania could end up massively importing equipment without solving the structural problems of the energy network.
"Once again, the goal will not be the modernization of a functional energy system and cheap energy, except in discourse," says Chisăliță.
Warning about the emergence of new "smart guys"
The energy specialist says that the current direction risks creating a new category of actors who will take advantage of market volatility. "In 2-3 years, we will see the emergence of a new type of 'smart guys' in energy, and prices will still be high for the end consumer," he warns.
In his opinion, batteries should be used to reduce imbalances and expensive energy imports, not for speculating price differences.
"Instead of promoting batteries primarily as tools to reduce prices, mitigate imbalances, limit peak imports, and increase energy security, they are often seen as mere business opportunities," says the president of AEI.
"Romania risks buying only batteries, not flexibility"
Chisăliță says that the difference between a real strategy for flexibilizing the energy system and simply purchasing batteries is "fundamental."
"Flexibility means a system capable of absorbing surplus cheap energy, reducing expensive peak imports, stabilizing the grid, and decreasing the structural costs of electricity," he explains.
On the other hand, he warns that batteries developed "haphazardly" and used solely for commercial arbitrage risk becoming "a new source of fees and speculative gains."