Mena faces energy storage troubles

Battery technology is struggling to take off in the region, presenting a potential hurdle for future green hydrogen production

The Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region has seen a proliferation of renewable energy projects—both to decarbonise domestic energy use and for dedicated green hydrogen production— but the deployment of storage solutions remains on the back burner. Battery technology, in particular, is struggling to take off in Mena compared with Europe, according to law firm Bracewell. “The Middle East is at the vanguard of renewable energy development, with the largest solar projects in the world and a number of jurisdictions looking seriously at onshore wind capacity. Deployment of battery storage systems is still really low,” says Tom Swarbrick, a partner at Bracewell’s Dubai office. A particular ch