HOME / investment cost of a 1mw energy storage power station in 2025
While energy storage is already being deployed to support grids across major power markets, new McKinsey analysis suggests investors often underestimate the value of energy storage in their business cases.
According to BloombergNEF (BNEF), more than $262 billion of investment will be needed for stationary energy storage by 2030. BNEF's 2021 Global Energy Storage Outlook projects significant growth in this sector, with Yayoi Sekine, the firm's head of decentralized energy, stating that 'this is the energy storage decade'.
Evaluating potential revenue streams from flexible assets, such as energy storage systems, is not simple. Investors need to consider the various value pools available to a storage asset, including wholesale, grid services, and capacity markets, as well as the inherent volatility of the prices of each (see sidebar, “Glossary”).
The revenue potential of energy storage is often undervalued. Investors could adjust their evaluation approach to get a true estimate—improving profitability and supporting sustainability goals.
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed. This paper assesses the profitability of battery storage systems (BSS) by focusing on the internal rate of return (IRR) as a profitability measure which offers advantages over other frequently used measures, most notably the net present value (NPV).
Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view. This paper assesses the profitability of battery storage systems (BSS) by focusing on the internal rate of return (IRR) as a profitability measure which offers advantages over other frequently used measures, most notably the net present value (NPV).
Internal Rate of Return (IRR) This paper is based on the IRR as a key economic metric for assessing the profitability of investment projects.
We argue in favour of the internal rate of return (IRR) as a preferred method to assess profitability given the advantages over the popular net present value (NPV) and many other frequently used profitability measures.
The results indicated that mechanical energy storage systems, namely PHS and CAES, are still the most cost-efficient options for bulk energy storage. PHS and CAES approximately add 54 and 71 €/MWh respectively, to the cost of charging power. The project׳s environmental permitting costs and contingency may increase the costs, however.
Base year costs for utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESSs) are based on a bottom-up cost model using the data and methodology for utility-scale BESS in (Ramasamy et al., 2023). The bottom-up BESS model accounts for major components, including the LIB pack, the inverter, and the balance of system (BOS) needed for the installation.
In terms of TCC (total capital cost), underground CAES (with 890 €/kW) offers the most economical alternative for bulk energy storage, while SMES and SCES are the cheapest options in power quality applications. However, the cost data for these electro-magnetic EES systems are rather limited and for small-scale applications.
PCS costs of the EES system are typically explained per unit of power capacity (€/kW). Energy related costs include all the costs undertaken to build energy storage banks or reservoirs, expressed per unit of stored or delivered energy (€/kWh).
Get technical specifications, product datasheets, and installation guides for our industrial cabinet solutions.
ul. Przemysłowa 45
61-003 Poznań, Poland
+48 61 853 23 47
Monday - Saturday: 7:00 AM - 5:00 PM CET