Global battery storage reached a record 108 GW of additions in 2025, IEA reports
The IEA reports global battery storage additions hit a record 108 GW in 2025, up 40% on 2024 and above the historical peak for gas-fired power capacity.
Photo by Ramesh Kambattan on Pexels
Global battery storage additions reached a record 108 gigawatts (GW) in 2025, about 40% more than in 2024, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) data reported in early June 2026. The total exceeded the historical peak for annual gas-fired power capacity additions, around 107 GW in 2002, making battery storage the fastest-growing power technology of the year. Utility-scale projects accounted for roughly 87 GW, or 80% of the total.
What the IEA data shows
The IEA attributed the growth to falling costs and rising demand for grid flexibility. Battery costs fell by more than 90% between 2010 and 2025. Of the 108 GW added, about 87 GW was utility-scale and the remainder was behind-the-meter capacity installed by businesses and households. The role of storage has also shifted: the share of projects used mainly for energy shifting, storing cheap power to sell when prices rise, climbed from around 40% in 2015 to more than 90% in 2025. The average duration of newly commissioned projects rose to about three hours in 2025, up from around two hours in 2023.
Where battery storage grew in 2025
China led in absolute terms with just over 63 GW of new capacity, about one-third more than in 2024, of which roughly 55 GW was utility-scale. The United States added about 19 GW, up around 60%, split between more than 16 GW of utility-scale and nearly 3 GW behind the meter. Europe added about 6.2 GW; though slightly below 2024, its utility-scale segment more than doubled to roughly 4.6 GW. Australia recorded one of the fastest expansions, with additions of nearly 8 GW, almost nine times the previous year, lifting storage to around 18% of the country’s installed dispatchable capacity, ahead of China (7%), the United States (5%), and Europe (4%).
| Market | Battery additions, 2025 | Note |
|---|---|---|
| China | ~63 GW | ~55 GW utility-scale; ~1/3 higher than 2024 |
| United States | ~19 GW | >16 GW utility-scale; up ~60% |
| Australia | ~8 GW | ~9x the 2024 level |
| Europe | ~6.2 GW | utility-scale more than doubled to ~4.6 GW |
| Global total | 108 GW | up ~40% on 2024 |
Source: International Energy Agency data, reported by pv magazine ESS News and SolarQuarter, June 2026.
Why storage matters for the grid
Batteries can perform several grid functions at once: storing surplus solar and wind output, releasing it at peak demand, regulating frequency, and easing transmission congestion. The IEA noted that this flexibility is becoming more valuable as variable renewables grow. The data already shows the effect in some regions: the agency reported that in March 2026 batteries supplied more than 40% of California’s evening electricity demand during a period of high renewable output, and that batteries’ share of the state’s hourly balancing needs rose from under 1% five years earlier to more than 60% in the first quarter of 2026. The agency also cited rising battery contributions to balancing in Texas and South Australia.
Winss Solutions has examined the reliability question this addresses in whether renewable energy is really unreliable due to intermittency, and has tracked alternative storage chemistries in its look at whether iron-air batteries can provide long-duration storage.
Background
The IEA, founded in Paris in 1974 after the oil crisis, publishes regular analysis of global energy supply, demand, and technology. Its Global Energy Review draws on national statistics and market data to track yearly trends across power generation, fuels, and emerging technologies. Battery storage has moved from a minor entry in those reviews a decade ago to a leading category, reflecting cost declines of more than 90% since 2010 and the spread of solar and wind. The 2025 figures place battery storage above the historical annual record for gas-fired capacity additions for the first time, a marker the IEA uses to underline the technology’s shift from a supporting role to a core part of electricity systems.
Sources: pv magazine ESS News; SolarQuarter; International Energy Agency
Featured image: photo by Ramesh Kambattan on Pexels (free Pexels license).
For more on this topic, see our how grid-scale battery storage actually works.
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I specialize in sustainability education, curriculum co-creation, and early-stage project strategy. At WINSS, I craft articles on sustainability, transformative AI, and related topics. When I’m not writing, you’ll find me chasing the perfect sushi roll, exploring cities around the globe, or unwinding with my dog Puffy — the world’s most loyal sidekick.
