Our program at a glance
Title: Battery Energy Storage Plants in Power Systems – Markets, Technologies and Regulation
Day 1 (June 22nd, 2026 from 15:00 - 19:45 CEST)
| 15:00 - | 15:10 | Opening by the Conference Chairs: Mark McGranaghan is a Fellow at EPRI, located at the EPRI Europe office in Dublin. Reza Iravani is the director of the Centre for Applied Power Electronics (CAPE) at the University of Toronto, Canada. | Mark McGranaghan | Reza Iravani |
Session 1: Policies and Programs
| 15:10 - | 16:40 | This session provides an overview of how research, policy, and technology are shaping the future of energy systems. It highlights current R&D priorities, advances in battery technologies, and the growing role of energy storage in supporting reliable and flexible power grids. Perspectives from Europe, North America, and Asia illustrate different regulatory frameworks. The session also showcases coordinated efforts such as long-duration energy storage programs, emphasizing the importance of aligning technological development with effective policy. | Moderator: Mark McGranaghan  | Fellow at Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Europe, Ireland |
Session 2: System Support vs. Energy Trading
| 16:40 - | 18:10 | This session brings together perspectives from grid and plant operators to explore the balance between system support requirements and energy trading in modern power systems. It highlights operational challenges, evolving market dynamics, and the increasing role of large-scale battery energy storage. | Moderator: Philipp Strauss  | Director Power Systems Stability and Converter Technology Division Fraunhofer IEE, Germany Spokesperson for DERlab |
Session 3: Technical Solutions and Interoperability
| 18:10 - | 19:40 | This session focuses on how emerging technologies and new system participants can enhance grid reliability in a digital and decentralized energy landscape. It explores the role of data centers and distributed storage as active providers of grid services, supported by advanced validation methods such as Hardware-in-the-Loop testing. The session also addresses the need to adapt protection schemes and improve coordination between transmission and distribution operators, highlighting interoperability as a key enabler of secure and flexible system operation. | Moderator: Reza Iravani  | Professor at University of Toronto, Canada |
Day 2 (June 23nd, 2026 from 08:30 - 12:45 CEST)
Session 4: Research and Development Projects
| 8:30 - | 9:50 | This session presents recent research and development activities addressing key challenges in modern power systems. Topics include energy storage, state of charge estimation, dynamic operating envelopes, and advanced modelling approaches. It also highlights developments in battery technologies and data-driven analysis, supporting more flexible, efficient, and resilient energy systems. | Moderator: John Ward  | Research Director at Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Australia |
Session 5: System Requirements and Ancillary Services
| 9:50 - | 11:05 | This session examines how power systems can maintain stability and resilience as inverter-based resources become more dominant. It highlights the role of synthetic inertia and fast frequency response in compensating for reduced system inertia, as well as the need to redesign restoration and black-start strategies. The session emphasizes that future systems will require new technical capabilities, updated operational approaches, and enhanced ancillary services. | Moderator: Diana Strauss-Mincu  | Group Manager of Grid Control and Grid Dynamics Fraunhofer IEE, Germany |
Session 6: Island Grids and Emergency Power Supply (Resilience)
| 11:05 - | 12:35 | This session presents international perspectives on improving the reliability of isolated and vulnerable power systems. Case studies illustrate how microgrids and grid-forming batteries support resilience and reduce dependence on conventional generation. Examples from different regions highlight both technical solutions and emerging service models, demonstrating how innovation in technology and operations can strengthen system reliability and recovery. | Moderator: Benjamin Kroposki  | Director - Power Systems Engineering Center Narional Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), USA |