The German battery storage market is at a turning point. While demand for storage capacity continues to grow, grid access has become the defining bottleneck for project development. 

We are pleased to share some key takeaways from Salomé Perperot and Marcel Marquart webinar, hosted by Energy Storage News early June. 

Watch the full replay here.

Regulatory context in Germany: grid as bottleneck and TSO/DSO differencies 

• Flexible Connection Agreements (FCAs) are a requirement to get grid, not a fast-lane access: in 2025, grid requests by BESS once again exploded.

• The projects with provided access were under a FCA, which restrict BESS operations in the markets. 

• Four main types of conditions have been given to BESS projects in Germany so far: Injection/withdrawal limitations, Ancillary services limitations, Ramp rates and Order book freeze. 

• One of the main challenges for developers is uncertainty: FCA conditions vary significantly depending on the local grid operator, and the applicable framework often remains unclear until the grid connection agreement is signed. 

Developer journey step by step :  

You can access our example of a 50 MW/ 4h project just here.

From business models to financial close? 

• Most Route-to-Market providers are new to FCAs, making it difficult to structure attractive tolling agreements. 

• Lenders have to deal with an additional level of uncertainty: FCA conditions. Revenue forecasts must increasingly account for different curtailment scenarios and grid-access constraints. 

Flexibility is becoming the new standard

• Other European countries start including flexible connection schemes 

• In France, for example, fixed profiles are defined in advance, and zones in which it applies are accessible on an online map 

Bottom line: Flexible grid access is moving from a niche topic to a core investment consideration for BESS projects. 

Need support navigating FCA-related challenges or evaluating Route-to-Market options? 

RTM selection and revenue modelling are key areas of Clean Horizon’s technical advisory services.