Energy storage is becoming a cornerstone of tomorrow’s power system
On the occasion of two events dedicated to the energy transition, held in Occitanie and Hauts-de-France, Corsica Sole reaffirmed its conviction: energy storage is now an essential infrastructure for supporting the expansion of renewable energy and building a more flexible, resilient and decarbonized power system.
We would like to thank all the organizers of these events – AD’OCC, DERBI-CEMATER, the Occitanie Region, DREETS, the Hérault Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), AREC Occitanie, CD2E and the Hauts-de-France Region – for the quality of the discussions and their commitment to advancing this rapidly growing sector.
In Occitanie, Ayoub Chahlal, Development Team Manager and Energy Storage Lead at Corsica Sole, took part in a roundtable bringing together several renewable energy producers. The discussions provided an opportunity to share operational feedback on various types of projects already in service, including hybrid power plants, co-located projects and stand-alone battery energy storage systems (BESS).
In Hauts-de-France, Thibaut Loschetter presented Corsica Sole’s vision for stand-alone battery energy storage, a technology that we have been developing and operating for more than ten years. The discussions highlighted the complementary nature of the various energy storage applications and its growing role in the transformation of the power system, alongside industry stakeholders and representatives of regional and local authorities.
A pioneer in energy storage in France, Corsica Sole made the decision early on to invest in these technologies. From our first hybrid power plants to the development of large-scale stand-alone energy storage projects, our trajectory has been guided by a consistent conviction: energy storage is an essential lever for integrating more renewable energy, strengthening grid stability and supporting the electrification of uses.
The discussions held during these two events also highlighted several structural challenges that must be addressed to accelerate the deployment of the sector. The identified priorities include:
- adapting the market framework to fully value the services provided by energy storage;
- evolving regulatory frameworks;
- adapting grid connection rules to facilitate the development of hybrid projects;
- and raising awareness among local and regional authorities of the benefits of these infrastructures.
Regional authorities play a decisive role in this dynamic. In Occitanie, the ambitions driven by the Region and the actions led by AREC are helping to foster an ecosystem that supports the development of energy storage. In Hauts-de-France, the commitment of CD2E and the Region, particularly through a dedicated call for projects, is also helping to structure this strategic sector.
This ambition is taking shape on the ground. In Hauts-de-France, Corsica Sole is developing, in partnership with Banque des Territoires, a 50 MW / 100 MWh battery energy storage system at the Beuvry solar power plant in Pas-de-Calais. This facility will provide the power grid with the flexibility required to support the growing share of renewable energy and meet new needs linked to the electrification of uses.
As the power system evolves, energy storage is scaling up. From a supporting technology, it is becoming an essential infrastructure for the operation of tomorrow’s grid. At Corsica Sole, we are convinced that its development will be one of the main levers for a sustainable, efficient and sovereign energy transition.