However, as Hepp explains, the interaction between grid fees and other rules like the BKZ construction fee and FCAs still needs serious thought. See the full Q&A below.
We interviewed Hepp and Green Flexibility CEO Christoph Ostermann after the company secured a €400 million investment commitment from Partners Group in early 2025 (ESN Premium article). The company recently inaugurated a 40MW/80MWh project in Balzhausen, Germany.
Market in Germany is entering a complex phase
Energy-Storage.news: How would you characterise the current state of the German energy storage market, in terms of the key trends, major successes and achievements, and challenges still to be overcome?
Christina Hepp: The German storage market has developed from a niche flexibility topic into a core infrastructure question of the energy transition. Storage is becoming a key enabler for renewable integration, congestion management and system flexibility. One of the biggest achievements is the emergence of storage as one of the first fully subsidy-free infrastructure asset classes, which has led to strong investor interest, supported by rising volatility and widening spreads across power markets.
