Utility-scale Storage: New Challenges and New Strategies

Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Time
11:30 am - 01:00 pm
Hall
ICM München
Room
Room 13 A

As the energy storage market has evolved, one of the biggest barriers to battery storage deployment is grid connection. In Germany, one of Europe's most attractive markets, several gigawatts of storage remain stuck in connection queues, which questions project business cases as long-term revenues are unknown and projects cannot go online soon to benefit from existing prices and market conditions. Limited grid capacity means developers must act proactively and think creatively. Possible solutions include closer collaboration with DSOs to enable system-friendly integration, co-locating batteries with PV to use existing infrastructure, or cable pooling to optimize grid usage. Therefore, beyond trading and arbitrage, strategies like infrastructure sharing, partnerships with optimizers, and renting out batteries through tolling instead of developing projects are gaining ground. This session will examine how to navigate grid constraints and unlock the full value of storage in today's evolving energy system.

11:30 am - 11:35 amWelcome and Introduction

Anna Darmani

Principal Analyst, Energy Storage Europe

Wood Mackenzie

11:35 am - 11:45 amBeyond Revenues - Future Proof Revenue Stack for BESS

Sebastian Glibic

Transaction Manager

Vattenfall

11:45 am - 11:55 amComparing Co-Location Models for Utility-scale Storage Across Europe

Genna Boyle

Chief Commercial Officer & Head of EMEA

Gridcog

11:55 am - 12:05 pmFrom Merchant Risk to Bankable Flexibility: Utility-scale Battery Storage Business Models in Grid-Constrained Markets

Dr. Stefan Englberger

Head of Commercial & Investment Analysis

ECO STOR GmbH

12:05 pm - 12:15 pmEnabling Utility-scale BSS Projects Through Cable Pooling - Status, Opportunities and Challenges

Dr. Oliver Schmidt

CEO

dvlp.energy

12:15 pm - 12:25 pmUnlocking Utility-scale Storage in Europe: Overcoming Grid Bottlenecks With Innovative Business Models and Best Practices

Eva Zimmermann

Senior Research Associate Flexible Energy

Aurora Energy Research

12:25 pm - 01:00 pmPanel Discussion

Europe’s Largest & Most International Exhibition for Batteries & Energy Storage Systems
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Speakers
Speaker
Dr. Stefan Englberger, ECO STOR GmbH

Head of Commercial & Investment Analysis

Germany

Stefan Englberger is Head of Commercial & Investment Analysis at ECO STOR. With his team, he shapes the commercial strategy for utility-scale battery storage - developing bankable business models in grid-constrained markets, steering market and investment analyses, and building partnerships to successfully commercialize BESS projects. He sets pricing and contracting frameworks, leads negotiations with optimizers, utilities, and aggregators, and ensures regulatory requirements translate into investable structures.Prior to ECO STOR, Stefan earned his PhD at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) in battery technology and led research projects on optimized storage deployment. He also gained international experience in the US, Singapore, and the UAE across supply chain, business development, and industrial projects.

Speaker
Dr. Oliver Schmidt, dvlp.energy

CEO

Germany

Oliver is the CEO of dvlp.energy - a siting software for new battery, solar and wind parks, and data centers. He has more than 10 years of experience in the energy industry with previous roles at E.ON, the IEA and Apricum. Oliver also holds a doctorate on the economics of energy storage from Imperial College London and is the author of the book 'Monetizing Energy Storage.

Speaker
Sebastian Glibic, Vattenfall

Transaction Manager

Netherlands

Sebastian Glibic is a Transaction Manager at Vattenfall, where he focuses on battery energy storage systems (BESS). He closely monitors regulatory developments, designs revenue strategies for BESS in Germany and the Netherlands, and executes offtake agreements. His work spans large-scale standalone BESS projects, including at former nuclear sites such as Brunsbüttel, as well as green and grey co-located storage solutions. Sebastian holds a Master's degree in Economics from Humboldt University and is passionate about the role of energy markets in achieving climate neutrality.

Speaker
Genna Boyle, Gridcog

Chief Commercial Officer & Head of EMEA

United Kingdom

Genna Boyle is the Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Head of EMEA at Gridcog, a leading energy modelling platform helping businesses plan and optimise clean energy projects. Based in London, she leads the company's UK and European expansion. She has over a decade of expertise in the energy sector, spanning strategy, origination, and trading within the UK and New Zealand electricity markets, with a strong emphasis on renewables generation and battery storage. Before joining Gridcog, Genna was the Head of Commercial at Battery Optimiser and PPA Trader at Limejump.

Speaker
Anna Darmani, Wood Mackenzie

Principal Analyst, Energy Storage Europe

United Kingdom

Anna Darmani is a principal analyst at Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables, where she heads the research and analyses on Europe, Middle East and Africa storage markets. She has over ten years of experience in the energy industry, developing innovation and technology roadmaps and conducting EU research and advisory projects. Anna was one of the European Battery Alliance founding members and has worked with different industrial players to make Europe a global leader in the booming battery industry.

Speaker
Eva Zimmermann, Aurora Energy Research

Senior Research Associate Flexible Energy

Germany

Eva Zimmermann is leading on flexible energy in Auroras team specializing in European power markets. Joining Aurora in 2020, Eva has been leading the modelling and product development for Auroras German, Dutch and Belgian flexible energy offer. Her expertise encompasses long-term granular modelling of ancillary services, Intraday markets and battery investments across these regions.

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