The European Commission approved on July 31 a 59 million euro Slovenian state aid scheme to support the installation of at least 370 MWh of new battery energy storage capacity, backing Ljubljana’s push to integrate more renewable power into its electricity system.
The scheme is designed to increase the integration of renewable energy sources through the deployment of stand-alone battery energy storage systems, which the Commission said would improve the stability, reliability and efficiency of the grid while contributing to the transition towards a net-zero economy.
The measure will be financed by the Just Transition Fund and the ETS Modernisation Fund. Aid will take the form of direct grants for the construction of new stand-alone battery electricity storage systems, with the amount set by Slovenia on the basis of the investment costs of each project. Grants must be awarded before December 31, 2030.
The scheme was approved under the Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (CISAF), adopted by the Commission on June 25, 2025, in line with Article 107(3)(c) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. The Commission concluded that the measure is necessary, appropriate and proportionate to accelerate the move to a net-zero economy and to facilitate the development of economic activities important for the implementation of the Clean Industrial Deal.
CISAF is the EU’s temporary state aid rulebook that lets member states support investment in clean energy, industrial decarbonisation and clean technology manufacturing more quickly while safeguarding fair competition in the single market. Aid under the framework can be granted until the end of 2030.
Grid-scale storage is a growing priority for EU governments as wind and solar capacity expands, because batteries can absorb surplus generation when output is high and release it when generation dips. Slovenia has been expanding its renewable capacity under its national energy and climate plans, making storage a natural complement to that build-out.
The approval is the latest in a series of CISAF-backed storage and clean technology measures across the bloc and signals continued Commission support for member state investment in electricity system flexibility. For Slovenia, the 370 MWh target would add meaningful storage capacity to a grid increasingly reliant on variable renewables, helping to reduce curtailment and support security of supply.
Sources: European Commission via Mirage News, Clean Industrial Deal State Aid Framework (European Commission), ETS Modernisation Fund (European Commission)