ADB and GEAPP ink deal to boost APAC battery storage deployment

The programme covers technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP) have signed an agreement to establish a platform that will fuel the deployment of battery storage across Asia Pacific (APAC).

In a statement, the parties said the $750,000 grant for Enhancing Access to Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) for Low-carbon Economies (ENABLE) will be administered by the ADB. This will be consisted of $500,000 from the Smart Energy Innovation Fund under the Clean Energy Financing Partnership Facility and $250,000 from GEAPP.

The organisations noted the urgency of such initiatives given the rapid expansion of renewable energy in the region.

APAC’s renewables capacity is expected to grow by nearly 430 gigawatts from 2023 to 2028. Solar power will account for two-thirds of the growth, the majority of which will be from utility-scale deployments.

“With this significant expansion of renewable energy, BESS solutions are essential for grid stability and renewable energy optimisation,” the statement read.

The platform will focus on accelerating BESS deployment through technical assistance, pilot project preparation, and capacity-building initiatives for key stakeholders across the energy sector. It will help address key barriers, including lack of technical understanding, high capital costs, concerns about cost impacts on consumers, and limited access to concessional financing.

ENABLE will prioritise Vietnam, Mongolia, and Cambodia in the first three years. Initial focus areas include private-led grid-scale BESS integration studies, policy frameworks, procurement guidelines, technical standards, application of digital tools like artificial intelligence, and innovative business models for storage deployment.