Lithium battery energy storage operating costs

Statistics show the cost of lithium-ion battery energy storage systems (li-ion BESS) reduced by around 80% over the recent decade. As of early 2024, the levelized cost of storage (LCOS) of li-ion BESS declined to RMB 0.3-0.4/kWh, even close to RMB 0.2/kWh for some li-ion BESS projects.

Battery cost projections for 4-hour lithium-ion systems, with values normalized relative to 2022. The high, mid, and low cost projections developed in this work are shown as bolded lines. Figure ES-2.

Battery storage costs have evolved rapidly over the past several years, necessitating an update to storage cost projections used in long-term planning models and other activities. This work documents the development of these projections, which are based on recent publications of storage costs.

This study shows that battery electricity storage systems offer enormous deployment and cost-reduction potential. By 2030, total installed costs could fall between 50% and 60% (and battery cell costs by even more), driven by optimisation of manufacturing facilities, combined with better combinations and reduced use of materials.

A big driver of the fall in BESS costs will be a decline in the costs of the battery cells and packs themselves, which can make up half the cost of a lithium-ion BESS.

The national laboratory is forecasting price decreases, most likely starting this year, through to 2050. Image: NREL. The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has updated its long-term lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) costs through to 2050, with costs potentially halving over this decade.