The cumulative number of battery energy storage pipeline projects worldwide has reached 15 GW

IHS Markit, an international market research institution, recently released a report that the global stationary battery energy storage market has developed strongly, with completed projects increasing by 83%
compared with 2017.
Project delays in 2017 meant more than 850 MW were completed in the first quarter of 2018, a strong start
to 2018.
Project activity slowed in the second quarter, commissioning nearly 800 megawatts
before rebounding in the third quarter.
Due to the traditionally slow winter and Christmas periods, the fourth quarter had the lowest
number of projects completed.

Battery storage has a positive future as the project pipeline continues to grow, reaching 15.
2 GW in early 2019, which is half
the size of a new pumped storage (PHES) pipeline.
The Asia-Pacific region has the strongest pipeline, but it includes speculative projects that, if completed, would dwarf the world's
largest single-site energy storage projects.

The US market grew exponentially in 2019, with the Americas already having a project pipeline of more than 4.
3 GW.

As the policy framework moves forward in the United States, IHS Markit has tracked project activity in 39 states with operational energy storage systems, and another 5 states are planning or building projects
.

Competitive landscape

Based on the project statistics of more than 1 MW, NEC Energy Solutions, Nidec and Tesla Energy were the major energy storage system integrators
in 2018.
Narada and Tesla Energy join the likes of LG Chem and Samsung SDI as the most important battery suppliers for commissioned projects, and these four companies together account for 67%
of the battery storage pipeline planned by the confirmed suppliers.

A clear trend in 2018 is the increasing size of large front-end systems, which is further evidence that the industry is maturing
.
Announcements of systems over 100 MW are occurring more frequently, and while currently only accounting for about one-third of total installations, late-stage activity is increasing, highlighting the future importance
of residential and commercial applications.

Battery fire in South Korea

During 2018, more than 15 battery fires were reported in South Korea, leading to action by the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (MOCIE
).
Currently, more than 1,250 battery energy storage systems
are installed in the country.
With frequent fires in the country, authorities prioritize safety inspections of all installed battery systems, with specialized working groups working with major battery manufacturers and utility companies to conduct inspections
.

As such accidents will continue to occur in 2019, MOCIE announced the mandatory closure of 342 public energy storage systems and recommended that private owners of energy storage systems take them offline until the end of the ongoing investigation
.
This action is expected to reverberate throughout Korea and globally, but it will encourage stricter installation and safety regulations
.

Market prospects

Ireland is expected to launch the first phase of the
new ancillary services market later this quarter.
91 to 140 MW are expected to be procured in September 2019, with all systems scheduled for installation
in September 2021.

Ahead of the May federal election, Australian states and territories continue to support renewable energy generation and energy storage battery systems
.
South Australia has set a precedent for other states with generous subsidies for energy storage
.
Due to higher residential electricity prices in some Australian regions, IHS Markit expects PV system owners to explore storage opportunities as regional governments encourage the adoption of residential solar and storage, as well as advance integrated systems to virtual power plants (VPPs).

The U.
S.
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) issued Order 841 in February 2018, which aims to remove major regulatory barriers to electrical energy storage, aiming to create a level playing field for storage to capture new revenue streams
.
As of December 2018, both independent system operators and regional transmission system service providers have submitted plans reflecting the provision of energy storage resources, which will be implemented
in 2019.

This policy and regulatory development means that 2019 should be another positive year
for energy storage.
Following the strong completion of 2018, greater geographic diversity and more global suppliers will drive the industry
.