Distribution grid queues block 455 GW of European battery storage projects

The analysis covers Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland, and Spain, with Germany and the United Kingdom each carrying BESS backlogs above 100 GW. AFRY says distribution operators receive more than 11,000 annual connection requests for renewable and storage projects above 1 MW, and about 70% of those requests relate to solar PV. The report matters because delayed storage connections increase curtailment risk, reduce flexibility, and slow the ability of solar-heavy systems to absorb renewable surpluses.