On 8 July, the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería y Diseño Industrial (ETSIDI) of the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid hosted the first technical seminar organised by the Master Battery – UPM Chair, under the title “The Contribution of BESS Battery Storage to the Flexibility and Resilience of the Power Grid.” The event brought together professionals and researchers from the academic, institutional and industrial sectors to explore the role of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in an increasingly renewables-based energy system.

During the opening session, Francisco Santos, Director of ETSIDI, emphasised the importance of the Chair as a bridge between technical education and applied research in storage technologies. Juan Carlos Hernández, CEO of Master Battery, highlighted the value of this collaboration with the university as a driving force for advancing industrial solutions key to the energy transition.

Jesús Palma, Senior Researcher and Head of the Electrochemical Processes Unit at IMDEA Energy, delivered a presentation focused on the architecture of BESS systems, their performance over the life cycle, and the implications of battery degradation. He noted that “the performance of these systems is directly conditioned by the behaviour of the batteries, whose degradation depends on factors such as operating conditions and the passage of time—even when not in use.”

He also addressed the need to assess whether batteries can be repurposed or must be recycled once they reach a significant loss of capacity. In this regard, he reminded attendees that battery recycling is mandatory under EU legislation, although its economic viability largely depends on the value of the recovered materials.

The seminar concluded with a roundtable discussion on the main technical, regulatory and economic challenges associated with the large-scale deployment of energy storage. Participants agreed on the need to promote advanced control strategies, adapted regulatory frameworks and new business models that support the integration of BESS into an increasingly flexible, decentralised and competitive electricity market. Other key topics included safety, technology standardisation, and the role of European industry in driving these solutions forward.

IMDEA Energy´s involvement in this technical seminar offered a valuable opportunity to share knowledge and expertise in a field that is crucial to the energy transition. Events such as this one help strengthen collaboration between research centres, universities and industry, and foster real progress towards a more secure and sustainable energy system.