Experts from politics, industry and science discuss plans for the expansion of global storage in Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf, 11 March 2014. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) is to host a workshop "International Energy Storage Policy and Regulation" at the Energy Storage 2014 conference and exhibition. The workshop's objectives are to identify energy storage technologies and applications to support the accelerated deployment of renewables and to collect input on what applications, best practices and lessons should be highlighted in IRENA's global technology roadmap for electricity storage.

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IRENA is comprised of more than 100 member states promoting the global expansion of renewable energy. Energy Storage will take place from 25 March until 27 March, 2014, and the workshop is scheduled for 27 March, 2014.

More than 50 experts from politics, industry and science will take part in the workshop. The roadmap will identify the most important storage technologies and particular focus is on identifying key activities for electricity storage technologies where IRENA members can develop international co-operation.

"Energy storage will be an important part of the future energy system and our workshop at Energy Storage 2014 will bring together some of the leading experts to discuss this important topic," Dolf Gielen, Director of Innovation and Technology at IRENA explains.

"Energy Storage 2014 is the ideal platform for defining an international energy storage roadmap and it also provides an overview of the latest developments in the storage market," he continued.

"It is important that a central agency coordinates and advances the expansion of global storage systems. Energy Storage offers us an ideal opportunity to host the IRENA roadmap workshop, which will promote this development," Hans Werner Reinhard, Executive Vice President of Messe Düsseldorf emphasizes.

A total of 800 participants and 60 exhibitors from more than 30 countries are expected to visit the Energy Storage event. With these figures, the trade show conference has become established as one of the most important events of the European energy storage industry. The conference focuses on issues such as new developments in storage technology, future energy market design concepts, grid integration and prospects for international markets. These subjects are illustrated by practical examples. Among this year's keynote speakers are Frank Wouters, Deputy Director-General of IRENA, Garrelt Duin, Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy and Industry of North Rhine-Westphalia, Johannes Remmel, Minister for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Nature Conservation and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westfalia, Carla Peterman, Commissioner of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Didier Houssin, Director of Sustainable Energy Policy at the International Energy Agency (IEA), Janice Lin, Executive Director of the California Energy Storage Alliance (CESA), Dr. Rahul Walawalkar, Executive Director of the India Energy Storage Alliance (IESA) and Electricity Storage Association (ESA), Tina Jing Zhang, Executive Director of China Energy Storage Alliance (CNESA), Hildegard Müller, Chairwoman of the BDEW General Executive Management Board (BDEW) and Nicola Cosciani, CEO of Fiamm Energy Storage Solutions.

For more information, e.g. programme and registration, please visit www.energy-storage-online.com