June 15, 2023: The European Commission said on June 9 it had approved a €150 million ($163 million) state-aid scheme to develop battery storage and renewables in Slovenia.
This follows a spate of recent approvals for EU member states to support battery storage-related projects, amid concerns the bloc is lagging behind the US and Asia in investments.
Slovenia plans to provide individual grants of up to €25 million per beneficiary to encourage investment in ramping up clean energy projects.
The aid package was approved under the EU’s state aid temporary crisis and transition framework, designed to incentivize the production of equipment for the transition towards a net-zero economy.
On March 21, the European Commission said it had approved Romania’s plans for a €103 million package of aid to expand energy storage in the country.
Last month, the Commission announced approval of an €837 million Spanish aid scheme to finance battery production.
EUROBAT’s conference in Madrid was told on June 7 that Europe’s potential position as a major player in energy storage was at a critical juncture — in the face of $369 billion of tax credits from the US under this year’s Inflation Reduction Act that were not being matched by anything comparable from the EU.