‘Barriers to Ireland’s battery-storage growth’
A report from law firm Fieldfisher has warned that Europe’s battery energy-storage sector (BESS) is increasingly facing regulatory and grid‑access barriers to further growth.
It also describes Ireland as “among the most constrained BESS markets in Europe”.
The firm says that the conflict in the Middle East will accelerate demand for clean energy, boosting demand for BESS capacity.
While the report says that Ireland has “one of the most ambitious renewable-energy targets in the EU”, just 1.2 GW (gigawatts) of battery energy storage is live from a pipeline of more than 10 GW.
Long lead times
Fieldfisher’s analysis finds that grid congestion and connection delays remain the single biggest barrier to growth in the sector.
It says that, while the Government has committed €3.5 billion in grid investment between 2026 and 2030, and EirGrid is progressing upgrades, storage developers continue to face long lead times between planning consent and energisation.
“Ireland has a deeper and more bankable pipeline of battery-storage projects than many European markets, but delivery now depends on how quickly projects can secure grid access and adapt to regulatory change,” says Feilim O’Caoimh (co‑head of Fieldfisher’s energy group, small picture).
“Storage will be central to integrating offshore wind, managing congestion, and improving system resilience over the next decade,” he adds.
Legal certainty ‘improving’
The report identifies Ireland as a market where legal certainty and policy direction are improving, although it adds that further progress is needed.
It says that, since early 2025, planning authorities, guided by obligations under the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act, have taken a more favourable view of battery storage than other types of energy infrastructure.
This has been the case particularly where projects are supported by robust environmental assessments, fire‑safety design, and early community engagement.
“Whilst Ireland has a strong development pipeline of BESS projects, the implementation of these projects continues to be constrained by issues relating to route-to-market challenges and grid-connection delays and congestion," Fieldisher renewable-energy partner Elaine Traynor concludes.
Saturated grids
Across Europe, the report estimates that large-scale battery-storage capacity is set to increase more than sixfold by 2030, to more than 100 GW, but it warns that this progress depends on “accelerated grid upgrades, simplified planning processes, and clearer, more predictable and reliable legal frameworks for investors and developers”.
It says that nine out of the 11 markets analysed already face saturated grids, resulting in long waits for connection approvals and increasing uncertainty about project viability.
The report describes Germany’s situation as “the most acute”, noting that Ireland faces similar constraints.
It finds that securing planning permission is “one of Europe’s most pressing challenges”.
It highlights Ireland as one of three countries (along with Austria and Germany) where planning and environmental approvals “routinely exceed EU‑recommended timelines”, with additional fire‑safety and environmental assessments further prolonging development.
Fieldfisher says that Portugal has adopted Europe’s most efficient reforms, fast‑tracking co‑located battery projects and cutting approval times by up to 40%.
Certainty
The report also warns that cybersecurity is “no longer an operational afterthought” for developers, with non-compliance with new EU and British standards increasingly leading to redesigns, delays, or regulatory escalation.
Daniel Marhewka (co‑head of Fieldfisher’s energy group) said that investors wanted to support Europe’s storage build‑out, but they needed certainty.
“Clearer planning timelines, transparent grid‑connection rules, and consistent compliance requirements would unlock billions in private investment,” he stated.