Grid-forming energy storage: Why has it become a necessity for the Eastern European power grid and the next technological frontier?

Created on 2025.12.18

In the midst of gunfire and severe cold, the 600,000 households in Kyiv, Ukraine may not know that it is an advanced energy storage system capable of autonomously "building" a power grid that is fighting for crucial time for their electricity supply.

Ukraine's largest private energy company DTEK, in collaboration with the American company Fluence, has built the largest battery storage project in Eastern Europe after it went into operation, with a total scale of 200MW/400MWh.This system, distributed across six sites, can not only independently restore the operation of the local power grid during power outages, but its total investment amounts to 140 million euros.I'm sorry, but it seems that there is no content provided for translation. Please provide the text you would like to have translated into English.

At the same time, the grid-connected energy storage system provided by China Chint Power has successfully been integrated into the grid in Ukraine, and its system can respond to voltage fluctuations within 20 milliseconds, providing stable support for weak power grids.The content you provided is already in English.

01 Power Grid Crisis: The Real Dilemma of Energy Transition in Eastern Europe

The energy transition path in Eastern Europe is facing severe infrastructure challenges. Taking Ukraine as an example, its power system has long been highly dependent on centralized power sources, a structure that appears particularly vulnerable under external shocks.The content you provided is already in English.

The destruction caused by geopolitical conflicts has exacerbated this challenge, with reports indicating that the conflict has destroyed more than half of Ukraine's power generation capacity.This makes building a decentralized and resilient energy system a pressing survival need rather than a long-term plan.The content you provided is empty. Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

This vulnerability is not unique to Ukraine; it reflects a common weakness in the entire European power grid in the era of high proportions of new energy integration. The large-scale power outage incident that occurred in Spain in April 2025 caused a loss of about 15 gigawatts of generation capacity within 5 seconds, affecting tens of millions of people.

This accident was like a "stress test" for the modern power grid, thoroughly exposing the fatal issue that as inverter-interfaced power sources such as wind and solar power rapidly replace traditional synchronous generators, the inertia that the grid relies on for stability is quickly disappearing.

Figure 1 Load chart of the Spanish power outage incident on the day of the event

02 Technical Field: From "Follower" of the Power Grid to "Builder"

Traditional energy storage systems mostly belong to the "grid-following" type. They act like precise followers, constantly monitoring the voltage and frequency signals of the grid, and adjusting their output accordingly. However, when the grid itself collapses due to a fault and the signals disappear, these "followers" lose their reference, become unable to operate, and may even exacerbate system disturbances.

The grid-forming energy storage plays the role of a "leader" or "builder." Its core lies in the inverter's ability to autonomously generate stable voltage and frequency references without relying on external grid signals, simulating the operational characteristics of traditional synchronous generators.The content you provided is empty. Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

This means that it can not only support a normally functioning power grid but can also actively "construct" a stable voltage and frequency environment after a grid collapse, becoming the "starting point" and "fulcrum" for system recovery. For regions like Ukraine, where the power grid may suffer sudden attacks, this capability is described as "being able to independently restore the operation of local power grids in the event of a power outage," and its strategic value is self-evident.The content you provided is empty. Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

03 Policy-driven, from technical options to grid access thresholds

The frequent occurrence of power grid safety crises is rapidly pushing grid-forming capabilities from "advanced technology options" to "market access thresholds." The EU's ongoing promotion of the "Grid Code for Generator Connection Requirements" version 2.0 is expected to make grid-forming functionality a mandatory requirement for large energy storage projects with a rated power exceeding 1 megawatt.

This policy trend directly responds to the urgent demand for stability in the power grid. Research by the European Network of Transmission System Operators indicates that the high proportion of power electronic devices connected to the grid has increased the speed of fault propagation by three times. The enforcement of regulations marks a shift in the competitive core of the European energy storage market, elevating the competition from cost and capacity comparisons to a technological race for grid support capabilities.

For Eastern European countries that urgently need to strengthen energy security and grid resilience, this transition is highly aligned with their own needs. The Ukrainian government's "2030 National Renewable Energy Action Plan" has clearly included the demand for energy storage facilities.The synchronous resonance of technical regulations and regional strategies has paved the way for the large-scale application of grid-type energy storage in Eastern Europe.

04 Market Competition: The Technological Positioning Battle in Eastern Europe

On the eve of the full implementation of the new regulations, the technical competition for the Eastern European market has already begun. Ukraine has become the "frontline testing ground" for showcasing the value of network construction technology.

In addition to the 200MW/400MWh flagship project in collaboration with Fluence, DTEK emphasized its grid construction capabilities.The technical solutions of Chinese enterprises are also being rapidly implemented. The string-type grid-connected energy storage system provided by Chint Power for Ukraine has been completed and connected to the grid.The content provided is empty. Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

The system demonstrates three core functions for grid networking: intelligent response to phase jumps in the power grid to prevent disconnection, dynamic reactive power compensation within 20 milliseconds to stabilize voltage, and providing virtual inertia support for frequency.Another Chinese company, Kubo Energy, has successfully connected its 9MW/18MWh energy storage project in Ukraine to the grid, aiming to enhance grid stability and the capacity for renewable energy absorption.The content you provided is empty. Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

These projects collectively validate the applicability and necessity of network-type technology in the complex power grid environment of Eastern Europe. Ukrainian Energy Minister Svitlana Glushchenko commented on this: "In the context of large-scale attacks on the energy system, the role of energy storage systems has become as important as energy generation itself."

05 Future Blueprint: Building a Resilient Grid with Proactive Defense

The popularization of networked energy storage signifies a transformative shift in the energy systems of Eastern Europe from a model of "passively enduring shocks" to "actively maintaining stability." Its significance goes far beyond the upgrade of individual devices; it represents a fundamental innovation in the philosophy of power grid operation.

Looking to the future, with the widespread deployment of grid-forming energy storage on the generation side, grid side, and user side, the power network in Eastern Europe is expected to evolve into an organism composed of multiple self-healing, islandable "microgrids" or "grids." When the main grid collapses due to extreme events (such as natural disasters or attacks), these areas can quickly separate and utilize local grid-forming resources to maintain power supply for critical loads, thereby greatly reducing the scope of power outages and accelerating the overall recovery process.

For energy investors, projects with grid-building capabilities will enjoy higher premium capacity and longer technical lifecycles. For grid operators, this serves as a "ballast" to withstand uncertainty and ensure power supply security. For the entire industry, this heralds the arrival of a new competitive era where deep technological understanding and system integration capabilities serve as a moat.

When Ukraine's energy storage projects safeguard light for hundreds of thousands of families amidst the flames of war, they rely not only on stored electricity but also on the ability to build a power grid. From being forced to respond to crises to actively shaping resilience, grid-forming energy storage is transforming the historical weaknesses of Eastern European power grids into a strategic new high ground for technological innovation and energy security. This silent technological revolution will ultimately redefine the reliability of power grids and the energy future of a region.

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