Dutch LDES highlight at international storage symposium IEA
The international symposium “50 Years of Energy Storage R&D & Deployment” took place at the Hulstkamp Building in Rotterdam on November 13, 2025. The event was organized by the International Energy Agency (IEA) in cooperation with the Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) to mark the 50th anniversary of the Energy Storage Technology Collaboration Program (ES TCP).
Energy Storage NL was present with several member companies at this special milestone, where policy makers, researchers, companies and international experts came together to look back on five decades of innovation and look ahead to the crucial role of storage in the future energy system.
Looking back on an inspiring day
The symposium covered in detail the global development of energy storage technologies - from the first pilot projects to the current large-scale implementation of battery storage, thermal storage and innovative molecular solutions. Speakers from home and abroad shared insights on market mechanisms, system integration, flexibility and the need to further scale up storage to make the energy system more sustainable.
In addition to substantive sessions, the event offered plenty of room for networking. Dutch companies, knowledge institutions and government representatives entered into discussions with international partners about cooperation, research and future projects. This gave the Dutch storage sector a strong presence on the world stage.
Impulse for LDES in the Netherlands
Simultaneously with the symposium, the start of the SLDBatt consortium was announced, an important step for the Dutch long-term storage sector. SLDBatt (Sustainable Long Duration Battery Technology) receives more than € 20 million in funding from RVO, within a total project budget of more than € 30 million. The grant comes from the National Growth Fund, within the ‘Material Independence & Circular Batteries’ scheme.
The consortium brings together leading Dutch knowledge institutions and companies, including Aquabattery, Elestor, Exergy Storage, Nobian. The project is coordinated by the Battery Competence Cluster NL (BCC-NL). The technologies being developed within SLDBatt focus on projects with storage capacities between 8 and 100 hours.
Energy Storage NL thanks all involved
Energy Storage NL looks back with appreciation on a successful event that helped the sector move forward with knowledge, inspiration and new connections. We thank the IEA, RVO, all speakers and participating member companies Aquabattery, Elestor, Newton Energy Solutions, Giga Storage, TSS4U/Qurmit and Saltes for their contribution.
