The EU-level tripartite agreements can create an investment climate that supports cost-effective energy production, reliable energy supply, and long-term economic growth for all stakeholders.
How will it work?
Tripartite agreements for affordable energy will bring together the public sector - including financial institutions, clean energy developers and energy-consuming industry.
They are designed to bring predictability and scaling both for energy generators, who will have a secure off-taker for their production, and for energy purchasers, who can benefit from affordable and stable energy supply.
It will also derisk investment in the business models of a given sector and spur their scale-up thanks to the support brought by the Commission, the EIB and the EU countries.
The Commission will monitor progress in the implementation of tripartite agreements on a yearly basis.
Tripartite agreement for energy storage
Reducing the EU’s gas demand and making better use of renewables is not enough to secure our energy independency and become climate neutral by 2050 - it must come together with an optimisation of the way our energy system works. Energy storage is therefore no longer optional – it is indispensable.
The first tripartite agreement, dedicated to scaling up the energy storage sector, was signed in Luxembourg on 26 June 2026 in the margins of the Council of energy ministers meeting.
It aims at boosting the deployment of energy storage in the short-term, as a matter of urgency, to support access to competitive energy prices for businesses and industries during the ongoing crisis.
The tripartite agreement will also provide a vital contribution to Europe’s ambition to electrify the economy at scale in the next years.
Signatories to the agreement included governments, national promotional banks, storage and renewable energy developers, storage manufacturers, and energy-consuming industries. They committed to working together to increase the volume of energy storage across the EU.
Showcase projects
Projects associated with the tripartite agreement were showcased at the signature ceremony to demonstrate how the principles of such an agreement can translate into tangible projects thanks to cross-sector collaboration.
These projects have a high replicability potential across the EU.
Benefits of increasing EU’s energy storage
Along other sources of non-fossil flexibility, storing energy for the time when it is most needed can improve the integration of renewables and help lower and stabilise energy prices for consumers. It will also support congestion management, reduce renewables curtailment and mitigate network development costs.
Increased storage capacity reduces dependence on volatile energy markets, cutting the need for government support to fossil fuel imports. It will free up public funds for more productive uses in line with the EU’s long-term objectives and protect households and businesses from the inflationary pressures of global fossil fuel price spikes.
It is estimated that 200 GW of storage capacities are needed by 2030 to meet the energy system’s needs, compared to around 55 GW of energy storage installed as of the beginning of 2026.
Storage – list of national pledges
The tripartite agreement for energy storage calls on signatory EU countries to submit concrete pledges on storage volumes for the period 2026-2028. These pledges aim to provide a clear and credible overview of storage deployment in the coming years and a strong political signal in support of accelerating such deployment.
The pledges do not create any legal obligation for its signatory parties, but show their commitment to accelerate the deployment of storage technologies across the EU. They highlight the existence of a solid business case and a positive outlook for the sector already in the short-term. However, further efforts, along the actions set in the tripartite agreement for energy storage, are required to ensure the indicative pace of annual deployment of 30 GW as outlined in the AccelerateEU Communication, to meet the EU’s 2030 energy system needs.
Snapshot of national pledges
The pledges submitted to the European Commission may be updated at the request of individual EU countries.
| AUSTRIA | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 5 000 MW* (*cumulated capacity by 2030) |
| BULGARIA | |||
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 2 900 MW / 9 700 MWh | 1 150 MW / 4 000 MWh |
290 MW / 1 000 MWh * (* 432 MW correspond to the restoration of the remaining Chaira units 1 and 4 (2 × 216 MW). Per the ENTSO-E methodology this returns existing, but currently unavailable installed capacity (MW) to the system but introduces no additional useable water volume (MWh) on its own; the additional energy is unlocked once Yadenitsa is in service.)
|
| CROATIA | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 500 MW / 1 000 MWh |
| CYPRUS | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 120MW / 400MWh |
| CZECH REPUBLIC | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 1 000 MW |
| DENMARK | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | *Pledge to be submitted by end of 2026 |
| ESTONIA | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 550 MW |
| FINLAND | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | *Pledge to be submitted by end of 2026 |
| GREECE | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | *Pledge to be submitted by end of 2026 |
| GERMANY | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | *Pledge to be submitted by end of 2026 |
| HUNGARY | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 700MW / 1 000MWh |
| IRELAND | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 660 MW * (* Ireland is committed to installing a minimum of 2110 MW of electricity storage by the end of 2030. Ireland will achieve this by contracting 1 GW of additional electricity storage to the existing 2025 capacity of 1110 MW (31/12/2025). In line with the Tripartite agreement, Ireland pledges to contract approximately an additional 20% of the 2025 capacity year on year, i.e 220 MW, in 2026, 2027 and 2028 a total of 660 MW. The processes in place to deliver this additional 1 GW target is set out in the Ireland’s Electricity Storage Policy Framework published in 2024.) |
| ITALY | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 10 000 MWh |
| LATVIA | |||
| 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 31 MW | 60 MW |
60 MW
|
| LITHUANIA | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 1 085 MW |
| MALTA | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 40 MW |
| NETHERLANDS | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | *Pledge to be submitted by end of 2026 |
| POLAND | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 11 000 MW* (*cumulated capacity by 2030) |
| PORTUGAL | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 500 MW |
| ROMANIA | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 2 496 MW |
| SLOVAKIA | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 376 MW |
| SPAIN | |
| 2026/2028 | |
| Total expected additional storage power (MW) | 4 000 / 5 000 MW |
Background
The tripartite model was launched in the Action Plan for Affordable Energy, published in February 2025.
It builds on the experience of the Wind Charter, signed in December 2023, and the Solar Charter, signed in April 2024, which have demonstrated the added value of bringing together institutional and economic actors to make decisive steps in building a competitive value chain in key sectors of the clean transition.