Ukraine has entered the top five largest markets for energy storage systems (Battery Energy Storage System, BESS) in Europe for the first time, according to the European Battery Market Outlook 2026–2030 report published by SolarPower Europe on June 23.
In 2025, Ukraine commissioned nearly 3 GWh of new energy storage capacity.
"Ukraine and Bulgaria entered the top five, each adding almost 3 GWh of battery capacity. This demonstrates that the value of storage is increasingly being recognised across very different European energy systems and market designs. Ukraine’s emergence on the European battery storage map is particularly significant. Following extensive damage to its power infrastructure caused by Russian attacks, battery storage has rapidly evolved from an investment opportunity into a critical energy security asset. The Ukrainian experience demonstrates that batteries are not only enabling the clean energy transition; they are also essential for safeguarding democratic societies," the report reads.
Across Europe, 36 GWh of new BESS capacity was installed over the year, pushing the total installed capacity above 100 GWh for the first time. The annual market growth rate was 48%.
In EU countries, 27 GWh of storage systems were commissioned in 2025, accounting for 75% of all new capacity in Europe. The total installed BESS capacity in the European Union approached 80 GWh by the end of the year.
The largest share of new capacity came from utility-scale storage systems, which accounted for more than half of all deployments.
Germany, the United Kingdom, and Italy remain market leaders, but their combined share is gradually decreasing due to rapid growth in other countries. Bulgaria also entered the top five largest markets in 2025 for the first time, with nearly 3 GWh of new storage systems installed.
Collectively, the five largest markets accounted for 62% of all new BESS installations in Europe, down from about 80% a year earlier.
For the first time, SolarPower Europe also included Turkey in its review. The country has the largest pre-approved energy storage project pipeline in Europe — 33.1 GW across 678 projects approved by the regulator.
However, by the end of 2025, only 390 MWh of storage capacity was operational there. By February 2026, an additional 300 MWh was commissioned as part of solar and wind power plants.
Over the first 10 months of 2025, Ukraine imported batteries worth $1.05 billion, which is 1.5 times more than in the same period last year ($687 million), according to data from the State Customs Service.
