A major breakthrough for energy storage in Greece when the country needs it the most: Optimus Energy, the country’s leading aggregator for renewables and flexible load, has formed a strategic alliance with enspired, Europe’s leading specialist for the commercial optimization of energy storage, to unlock the full potential of grid-scale battery assets set to be operational in Greece. The collaboration kicks off with an impressive initial portfolio of energy storage projects totaling 270 MW, including both fully merchant assets and subsidized projects.

What makes this partnership so special? Right now, sunny Greece has a considerable surplus of solar energy but zero battery systems to balance it. This leads to unmanageable levels of volatility and unmonitored curtailments, resulting in profound waste of low-cost clean energy and revenues. To accelerate the energy transition and fully leverage the abundance of photovoltaics in the country – among the highest in Europe – the integration of storage capacity is essential. With 14 GW of renewables already installed and 26 GW expected by 2030, too much power, especially solar, is set to be lost due to lack of storage.

“We are facing extreme curtailments around noon and during seasons of low demand. As more capacity comes online until 2030, this challenge will only grow. To fully integrate these additions, Greece will need 4 to 5 GW of storage. Yet today, we do not even have 1 MW in operation!” Stella Zacharia, CEO of Optimus Energy, explains. “That is why we are bringing battery optimization to Greece together with enspired: to support the upcoming storage integration. With enspired as our partner, we create a strategic advantage in the Greek market. Their platform allows us to establish a one-stop shop for all-inclusive battery and energy storage optimization services. If you want to leverage the full potential of a new market, you need to shape it from day one, and enspired’s technology makes that possible.”

By joining forces to drive BESS integration in Greece and offering the solution to facilitate it, Optimus Energy and enspired are addressing the needs of the country, its people, and, by extension, the European continent. “With this breakthrough collaboration, we look forward to once again becoming a first mover and pioneer in the emerging energy storage market in Greece, as we did years ago with the provision of aggregation services to renewables,” Costas Baslis, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Optimus Energy, comments. “We aim to maintain a substantial market share, and to facilitate the efficient integration of substantially more renewable capacity into our market. After thorough market research, enspired quickly emerged as the obvious choice to realize these ambitions. Our partnership opens valuable opportunities for energy storage assets, creating a milestone turning point for the Greek energy market as a whole.”

Jürgen Mayerhofer, CEO of enspired, adds: “Greece currently has a significant pipeline of energy storage projects under development, with a total capacity exceeding 3 GW. Through our collaboration with Optimus Energy, we are entering the market with a share of almost 10%. As a new market, Greece offers a lot of ground for innovation, and that is what both companies are known for. Together, we bring to life the big picture by providing a turnkey solution for all BESS investors in Greece who want to join the market. In Optimus Energy, we have found an incredibly knowledgeable, competent, and trusted partner, and we are delighted to make it official here in beautiful Athens.”