STEPS - STorage of Energy & Power Systems in NWE

Project Summary

STEPS will strengthen the competitiveness of NWE innovative storage providers by using a user-centric, demand-driven approach to bring products closer to market. STEPS will drive down the time energy storage SMEs typically spend on technology demonstration before reaching market maturity from an average of 5 years to 1-2, while maintaining maximum commercial usability. 

Tailored energy
As the NWE is increasingly investing in distributed renewable energies (e.g. roof-mounted solar PV), the need for medium capacity energy storage solutions becomes apparent, with a market potential reaching €250bn by 2025.  Heavily subsidized batteries from the US and Asia outpace EU suppliers through price-competition, and currently supply 80% of the storage market in NWE. Many of these mass-produced solutions are not tailored to the needs of local market segments including, e.g. housing providers, energy cooperatives and business parks. These use cases could benefit from tailored storage technologies, new technologies or adapted business models (e.g.Storage-as-a-Service).

Innovative NWE storage products are currently stuck at TRL5/6 and face significant barriers, ranging from fragmented regulations & funding sources, limited testing abilities and unawareness of final consumers.

Expectations
More than 50 future end-user of storage will be trained on using a new tool to model their e-storage need with direct links to a portfolio of 250-300 solution providers from NWE. On the long-term, this will position NWE as a leading storage player, gaining up to the 30% of the market with more than 120 new e-storage solutions commercialised and leading to the generation of >1100 new jobs.

Take your e-storage solution from test stage to market ready

Apply to the programme today!

STEPS Business Support Programme
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A new Business Support Programme for energy storage companies within North-West Europe launched in January 2021. The STorage of Energy and Power Systems (STEPS) Business Support Programme will support small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in bringing their energy storage solutions to the market.

As part of the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) programme, the STEPS project aims to strengthen the collaboration and competitiveness of businesses in the region and lead NWE to the forefront of energy storage innovation. 

The call for application is currently closed, in case you are still interested in participating in STEPS but missed the deadline please contact one of our regional partners.

Are you an energy storage solution provider in North-West Europe (NWE) and do you want to bring your product to the market? STEPS can provide support from knowledge partners in NWE and connect you with end-users and demonstrate your technology at their testbed. For more information, please go here.
Timeline for the second call for applications

  • The second call has closed the 17th June 2021.

  • The Business Support Programme includes two successive vouchers.

  • The first voucher (€12.500 each) starts from August 2021 and can take up to five months. The second voucher (€50.000 each) can start as early as January 2022 and will last six months.

Take your e-storage solution from test stage to market ready

Apply to the programme today!

STEPS Business Support Programme

News

4 STEPS success stories

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The Interreg North West Europe (NWE) project STEPS comes to an end in September 2023. Time to share some of the successes the project has reached over the last years. The four STEPS-participants keen to be in the spotlight are: ZEBRA, XINTC, Volta Energy NL and Borg Energy Storage. Read More

Final STEPS Event in Kilkenny

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The Interreg Northwest Europe (NWE) programme STorage of Energy and Power Systems (STEPS) comes to an end in September 2023. As part of the closing of the project, the STEPS partners organized a final event for all partners and the advisory committee of the project. This final event took place on the 6th and 7th of July 2023, in Kilkenny, Ireland. The programme was full with inspiring presentations, pitches and brainstorms. Read More

5 STEPS Webinars 'How to enter the Energy Market?'

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Are you an SME offering energy storage solutions and are you thinking about entering the Dutch, Belgian, German, UK or Irish market? Or are you interested in the opportunities that entering a foreign market could offer for your business? Then these webinars are for you! Interested? Check the date and time for the webinar of your interest on the flyer below and sign up here. Read More

STEPS active at the City-Tech.Tokyo event in Japan!

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Cambridge Cleantech and OXTO Energy have presented the STEPS project at the City-Tech.Tokyo event in Japan! As one of the world’s largest city-tech events, City-Tech.Tokyo aims to realize sustainable cities through open innovation together with start-ups. Participants from all over the world presented various technologies and innovations to overcome urban sustainability issues and create ideal cities. A great opportunity to showcase the STEPS project and promote NWE as hub for energy storage innovation. Read More

Exergy Storage gains valuable insights on their new battery technology

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Dutch energy start-up Exergy Storage is one of the 40 SMEs in the STEPS business support programme receiving support to bring their product to the market and increase their competitiveness. Exergy Storage is developing a new battery technology based on abundant, ultra-low-cost materials, such as rock salt, (recycled) aluminium and iron. The advantage of this technology compared to current battery technologies like lithium-ion is that it is based on abundant raw materials, is intrinsically safe and has a minimal impact on the environment, without compromising the energy density of the system. The technology is easily scalable, fully recyclable and can be applied to large-scale utility and residential storage systems. What makes the batteries even more special is that they can be used in a circular way, as they are refillable and reusable. Read More

Market Analysis shows the potential of the European Energy Storage market

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The market for energy storage and energy systems is growing rapidly. It is estimated that 245 GWh of batteries will be installed every year until 2030 and that by then, the total installed cost of Li-Ion batteries is less than half of what it is now, and the stationary battery storage market will reach 60 billion dollars. The growth in this market will lead to many opportunities, but also brings along challenges. STEPS has performed an analysis to gain insights on the trends, barriers, opportunities, and challenges in the developing energy storage market in Europe. Read More

The power of the STEPS Business Support Programme

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The Interreg project STorage of Energy and Power Systems (STEPS) is supporting many SMEs to get their innovative energy storage solution market ready. With the business support programme STEPS helps them to develope and optimize their solution and test their product at end-user testbeds. Examples of innovative SMEs in the STEPS programme are Zebra, that is receiving support from the University of Ghent, and AMPTE Power, Brill Power and Starke Energy, who are testing their combined solution at Harwell Campus. Read More

Events

Construction yard battery packs put into practice

, Lemcko lab - Graaf Karel de Goedelaan 34, 8500 Kortrijk

Curious how batteries can offer reliable and affordable solutions for the various challenges the construction industry is facing? On February 13, this will be made tangible by Flux50, UGent and POM Oost-Vlaanderen, in cooperation with Embuild. How can you reconcile a limited grid connection with high consumption peaks? What solutions does the market offer for the electrification of construction sites? Which innovations are coming our way and how can they arm us against fluctuating energy prices or grid congestion? Enjoy a varied program with experts and testimonials from both the construction and energy sector, after the start with a tasty lunch. We will end the afternoon with a networking drink during the demonstration of battery systems applicable on a yard. The working language at the event will be Dutch. See annex for full programme.
Read More

14th Energy Storage World Forum

, Online

Why Download The Programme Now: Gain Insights From Over 10 Utilities Including Tennet, RWE, Engie, Enel And More! Thoroughly Researched Topics On Accurately Predicting Renewable Energy Generation, Business Models For Hybrid ESS, Concluding The Optimum Depth Of Discharge And More Learn From An International Lineup Featuring Speakers From 13 Different Countries Benefit From 22 In-Depth Topics & 13 End-User Speakers At A Very Affordable Price Of Just €280
Read More

IRES: International Energy Storage Conference

, Online

Die dreitägige Online-Konferenz findet komplementär zur Energy Storage Europe 2021 statt. Der erste Veranstaltungstag am 16. März wird gemeinsam mit der Messe und dem BVES ausgerichtet. An den beiden folgenden IRES-Konferenztagen, am 17. und 18. März, finden in zwei beziehungsweise drei parallelen Konferenzsträngen Vorträge und Diskussionen mit hochkarätiger deutscher und internationaler Besetzung statt.
Read More

STEPS DESIGN FOR SAFETY IN BATTERY SYSTEMS SYMPOSIUM

, Online

Because of the vital role of the battery in energy storage applications, it is important to have a special attention to the battery pack which acts as a heart for the energy storage system. The University of Twente as a knowledge partner in STEPS project wants to organize a symposium that the purpose is to create awareness about safety considerations and provide useful design for safety information in battery systems as applicable to STEPS.
Read More

Matchmaking across borders to increase future energy storage (e-storage) opportunities, that is the goal of the new STEPS interactive map. This E-storage Matchmap makes linking energy storage suppliers, end users, knowledge institutions and service providers far easier and more effective. History shows that connecting parties with the right expertise determines the degree of success of innovations, which is why the STEPS team has mapped out a resource to help e-storage entrepreneurs do just that. The database is considered an 'open register'. This means that new companies, service providers, testbed providers for energy storage solutions and knowledge institutions from the area can also be included in the platform.

The E-storage Matchmap is a digitally mapped representation of companies involved in energy and energy storage that are also interested in cross-border collaboration. Next to these companies, the platform lists various testbed providers, service providers and network organisations.

To facilitate navigation, users can filter the map by type of organisation, country, target market, position in value chain and main technology. By selecting one or more of these options, only the organisations that have been assigned the relevant specifications will be shown. The table then shows the name of the organisation, the main technology, the primary target market, the country, and a link to the website. It is also possible to use the search function to find a specific organisation.

 

Visit the E-Storage Matchmap here!

STEPS Matchmaking crossborder

Listing in the Matchmap

Are you an entrepreneur in the energy storage sector and interested in cross-border collaboration? Add your company to the E-storage Matchmap! To initiate the process, please send an e-mail to: susan.jansen@oostnl.nl.

In the map we have carefully linked companies to different key technologies. If you find any inaccuracies, please contact susan.jansen@oostnl.nl.

STEPS

In STEPS, business support and knowledge partners from the Netherlands, Ireland, Belgium, Germany, and the United Kingdom have joined forces to strengthen the competitiveness of innovative energy storage (e-storage) providers in North-West Europe (NWE). STEPS is a project within the Interreg North-West Europe (NWE) programme. Interreg NWE falls under the European Cohesion Policy and is financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The STEPS project has produced several reports and booklets. For example, a market analysis of trends and challenge in a rocketing market, a booklet with factsheets about energy and power storage in different sectors, and a booklet with results from the testing of innovative storage solutions by SMEs in the STEPS business support programme. 

You can find these and more downloads below. Take a look and share the information with your relations.

STEPS project factsheets

Factsheets

SMEs Results booklet

SMEs of the STEPS Programme

Infographic STEPS results

Infographic STEPS results

Report University of Galway

An economic assessment of policy requirements in Ireland and the EU

Interactive Market analysis report

Trends and challenges in a rocketing market

The full report of the Market Analysis

Full report Market Analysis

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