National energy storage targets for 2030 have nearly tripled since COP29, reaching 822 GW across 99 countries and the European Union, according to new analysis by energy think tank Ember. Despite the increase, combined targets remain 45 percent below the 1,500 GW set out in the COP29 Global Energy Storage and Grids Pledge.
China and the EU account for almost all the increase in ambition. Most other countries have left their targets unchanged, while several major solar markets still lack a national storage target for 2030.
The findings highlight a widening gap between government commitments and a storage market where deployment is already advancing faster than existing policy targets require.
Energy Storage Targets Rise 190% Since COP29
Ember’s analysis puts combined national storage targets at 822 GW, representing a 190 percent increase, or approximately 2.9 times, the total assessed at COP29.
However, this leaves a 678 GW gap against the global pledge. Current targets cover only about 55 percent of the storage capacity envisaged for 2030.
Government ambition also trails the market outlook. BloombergNEF expects approximately 1,200 GW of batteries alone to be deployed by 2030. That forecast exceeds the combined national storage targets, which include technologies beyond batteries, such as pumped hydro.
The comparison shows that national commitments have yet to catch up with expected battery deployment.
China and EU Account for More Than 80% of Targets
China has made the largest contribution to the increase. Its 15th Five-Year Plan raised the country’s combined 2030 storage target from 130 GW to 460 GW, an increase of 330 GW.
The target covers new-type energy storage, predominantly batteries, alongside pumped hydro. Ember identifies it as the largest and most detailed national storage target.
The EU agreed its first bloc-wide storage target in June 2026, setting an ambition of 200 GW by 2030.
Together, China and the EU account for 660 GW, or just over 80 percent, of the total identified by Ember. Their dominance underlines how heavily global storage ambition depends on decisions in two economies.
For storage developers, equipment suppliers and investors, this concentration also identifies where governments have provided the clearest signals about future capacity needs.
Record Storage Additions Outpace Policy Ambition
Global energy storage additions reached a record 118 GW in 2025. Ember says sustaining that annual pace through 2030 would already be sufficient to meet current national targets.
Annual battery capacity additions have grown by almost 80 percent a year since 2020, considerably faster than the growth needed to achieve the full global pledge.
These figures measure different aspects of the market: 118 GW represents storage capacity added during one year, while the national targets describe capacity ambitions for 2030.
Nevertheless, the direction is clear. Deployment is progressing rapidly, while many governments have yet to establish targets that reflect the market’s expansion or their electricity systems’ future flexibility requirements.
Major Solar Markets Still Lack Storage Targets
Ember found a close relationship between solar and storage ambition: countries with larger storage targets generally also have larger solar targets.
However, eight of the world’s top 20 countries by solar capacity still have no national storage target for 2030. These include the US, Germany and Saudi Arabia.
The absence of a target does not necessarily mean limited investment. The US has installed approximately 52 GW of utility-scale batteries, while Saudi Arabia recently connected a battery project described in the analysis as the world’s largest single battery project.
Germany falls within the EU’s collective ambition but lacks a separate national 2030 target in Ember’s assessment.
Other significant solar markets, including Poland, Austria, Switzerland and Brazil, lag in both storage targets and installations.
Why Storage Targets Matter for Renewable Energy
Strong deployment in a few markets does not remove the need for broader policy commitments.
Storage targets can give investors greater confidence about future demand while helping governments coordinate renewable generation, grid development and electricity system operations. They can also support efforts to address regulatory barriers that delay projects.
Capacity figures alone do not capture these requirements. Countries must also consider how storage will operate, where it is needed and how market rules will support investment.
The issue is becoming more relevant as electrification expands. Ahead of COP31, Türkiye’s presidency is promoting a 35-by-35 Global Electrification Pledge, aiming to raise electricity’s share of final energy demand from approximately 20 percent to 35 percent by 2035.
Delivering that ambition’s climate and energy security benefits will require additional renewable generation supported by adequate grids and storage. Ember’s findings show that storage deployment is gathering pace, but national policy ambition remains concentrated and falls well short of the global 2030 pledge.
SHAFANA FAZAL