Europe is seeing a rapid increase in battery energy storage, but no two markets are quite the same. Each country presents its own blend of policy ambition, grid challenges, market structures, and investor appetite. For developers and capital providers, this means a highly fragmented landscape where understanding the local context is just as critical as getting the technology or financing right.

In this episode of Transmission, we take a pan-European view of battery investment looking at how the economics, regulation, and risk profile of projects vary from Belgium to the Baltics. Director of Investment Management for Battery Storage at Aquila Clean Energy EMEA - Kilian Leykam joins Ed to explore everything from four-hour assets in the Benelux to co-location in Italy, capacity markets in Greece, and merchant risk in Germany, this conversation explores what it takes to scale a diversified battery portfolio in today’s evolving energy landscape.

In this episode, we cover:

• Project development across multiple European markets: How site selection, policy maturity and market signals drive investment strategy.
• Four-hour storage in the Benelux: What early operational data tells us about long-duration battery economics.
• Germany and Italy: Why grid support and flexibility services are gaining momentum.
• The role of harmonisation: How EU-wide reforms may help or hinder cross-border battery investment
• Market risks and revenue models: From merchant exposure to capacity payments and co-location opportunities.

About our guest:

Kilian Leykam is Director of Investment Management for Battery Storage at Aquila Clean Energy, where he oversees one of Europe’s most geographically diverse battery portfolios.

With more than 7 GW of battery projects spanning nine European countries, Kilian brings deep experience in project development, trading, and strategic energy investment. For more information on what Aquila Clean Energy do, head to the website.

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.

All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Europe is seeing a rapid increase in battery energy storage, but no two markets are quite the same. Each country presents its own blend of policy ambition, grid challenges, market structures, and investor appetite. For developers and capital providers, this means a highly fragmented landscape where understanding the local context is just as critical as getting the technology or financing right.

In this episode of Transmission, we take a pan-European view of battery investment looking at how the economics, regulation, and risk profile of projects vary from Belgium to the Baltics. Director of Investment Management for Battery Storage at Aquila Clean Energy EMEA - Kilian Leykam joins Ed to explore everything from four-hour assets in the Benelux to co-location in Italy, capacity markets in Greece, and merchant risk in Germany, this conversation explores what it takes to scale a diversified battery portfolio in today’s evolving energy landscape.

In this episode, we cover:

• Project development across multiple European markets: How site selection, policy maturity and market signals drive investment strategy.
• Four-hour storage in the Benelux: What early operational data tells us about long-duration battery economics.
• Germany and Italy: Why grid support and flexibility services are gaining momentum.
• The role of harmonisation: How EU-wide reforms may help or hinder cross-border battery investment
• Market risks and revenue models: From merchant exposure to capacity payments and co-location opportunities.

About our guest:

Kilian Leykam is Director of Investment Management for Battery Storage at Aquila Clean Energy, where he oversees one of Europe’s most geographically diverse battery portfolios.

With more than 7 GW of battery projects spanning nine European countries, Kilian brings deep experience in project development, trading, and strategic energy investment. For more information on what Aquila Clean Energy do, head to the website.

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.

All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Battery energy storage is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of Australia’s evolving electricity system. As the National Electricity Market (NEM) transitions to accommodate rising renewable penetration, new policy mechanisms, and famously volatile prices, batteries are taking on a broader range of roles, from firming and arbitrage to frequency control and capacity support. But developing and operating storage in this environment requires more than just technology. It calls for strategic decision-making across commercial, technical, and market dimensions.

In this episode, Wendel is joined by Eku Energy's Chief Technology Officer - Elias Saba. The conversation explores how project developers like Eku are approaching duration and sizing, managing merchant risk, accessing FCAS revenues, and navigating the emerging capacity market landscape. We also look at how international experience can inform decision-making in Australia.

Key insights include:

• Why the NEM is a proving ground for batteries: The opportunities and risks of operating in a high-volatility, high-renewables environment.
• Duration and design choices: How CapEx trends, price signals, and regulatory uncertainty are shaping battery configurations.
• Revenue stacking in practice: Merchant trading, FCAS markets, and the role of contracting in stabilising returns.
• Global context, local application: Lessons from other advanced markets and how they translate to the Australian grid.
• Building for scale: The internal capabilities and strategic frameworks required to run a high-performing storage business.

About our guest

Elias Saba is the Chief Technology Officer and a founding team member at Eku Energy, a global battery storage developer and operator with active projects across Australia, Japan, Italy, and the UK. At Eku, Elias leads technical strategy, project optimisation, and market integration across multiple jurisdictions. His work sits at the intersection of engineering, commercial strategy, and energy market operations shaping how large-scale batteries are deployed and monetised in complex and fast-moving grid environments. For more information, head to their website.

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.

All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

Battery energy storage is rapidly becoming a cornerstone of Australia’s evolving electricity system. As the National Electricity Market (NEM) transitions to accommodate rising renewable penetration, new policy mechanisms, and famously volatile prices, batteries are taking on a broader range of roles, from firming and arbitrage to frequency control and capacity support. But developing and operating storage in this environment requires more than just technology. It calls for strategic decision-making across commercial, technical, and market dimensions.

In this episode, Wendel is joined by Eku Energy's Chief Technology Officer - Elias Saba. The conversation explores how project developers like Eku are approaching duration and sizing, managing merchant risk, accessing FCAS revenues, and navigating the emerging capacity market landscape. We also look at how international experience can inform decision-making in Australia.

Key insights include:

• Why the NEM is a proving ground for batteries: The opportunities and risks of operating in a high-volatility, high-renewables environment.
• Duration and design choices: How CapEx trends, price signals, and regulatory uncertainty are shaping battery configurations.
• Revenue stacking in practice: Merchant trading, FCAS markets, and the role of contracting in stabilising returns.
• Global context, local application: Lessons from other advanced markets and how they translate to the Australian grid.
• Building for scale: The internal capabilities and strategic frameworks required to run a high-performing storage business.

About our guest

Elias Saba is the Chief Technology Officer and a founding team member at Eku Energy, a global battery storage developer and operator with active projects across Australia, Japan, Italy, and the UK. At Eku, Elias leads technical strategy, project optimisation, and market integration across multiple jurisdictions. His work sits at the intersection of engineering, commercial strategy, and energy market operations shaping how large-scale batteries are deployed and monetised in complex and fast-moving grid environments. For more information, head to their website.

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.

All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

As electricity systems decarbonise, the nature of flexibility is fundamentally shifting. Where grid operators once relied on fossil fuel generation to follow demand, today’s energy systems are increasingly turning to the demand side for flexibility. With more electric vehicles, heat pumps, and behind-the-meter batteries connecting to the grid every day, the potential for distributed assets to support reliability and earn revenue, is rapidly growing.

But tapping into that flexibility at scale is no small task. It requires coordination, intelligent optimisation, and a clear route into energy markets. In this episode of Transmission, we explore how software platforms are making it possible to turn thousands of individual devices into aggregated resources that respond dynamically to grid needs. From flexibility markets and revenue stacking to the evolving role of energy suppliers and the economics of decentralised participation, this conversation breaks down how the grid is being rebalanced from the bottom up.

Quentin is Joined by Co-Founder & CEO of Axle Energy - Karl Bach. Over the conversation they cover:

• From load to resource: How electrification of heating, cooling, and transport is transforming grid demand into flexible capacity.
• Virtual power plants in action: What it takes to orchestrate hundreds of thousands of distributed devices across diverse asset classes.
• Consumer value meets system need: Why aligning grid requirements with consumer benefit is critical to unlocking participation.
• The platform model: How software intermediaries are enabling hardware providers and energy retailers to enter flexibility markets.
• Distributed flexibility as capex-light infrastructure: Why aggregating existing assets may offer faster returns than building new ones.

About our guest:

Karl Bach is the co-founder and CEO of Axle Energy, a platform that enables distributed energy assets - from EVs and heat pumps to residential batteries, to participate in electricity and flexibility markets. With over a gigawatt of connected capacity, Axle works behind the scenes to optimise assets and unlock value for hardware providers, energy suppliers, and the grid. Karl brings a systems-level perspective to the conversation, shaped by experience at the intersection of energy markets, technology, and scalable software infrastructure. For more information, head to their website.

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.

All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

As electricity systems decarbonise, the nature of flexibility is fundamentally shifting. Where grid operators once relied on fossil fuel generation to follow demand, today’s energy systems are increasingly turning to the demand side for flexibility. With more electric vehicles, heat pumps, and behind-the-meter batteries connecting to the grid every day, the potential for distributed assets to support reliability and earn revenue, is rapidly growing.

But tapping into that flexibility at scale is no small task. It requires coordination, intelligent optimisation, and a clear route into energy markets. In this episode of Transmission, we explore how software platforms are making it possible to turn thousands of individual devices into aggregated resources that respond dynamically to grid needs. From flexibility markets and revenue stacking to the evolving role of energy suppliers and the economics of decentralised participation, this conversation breaks down how the grid is being rebalanced from the bottom up.

Quentin is Joined by Co-Founder & CEO of Axle Energy - Karl Bach. Over the conversation they cover:

• From load to resource: How electrification of heating, cooling, and transport is transforming grid demand into flexible capacity.
• Virtual power plants in action: What it takes to orchestrate hundreds of thousands of distributed devices across diverse asset classes.
• Consumer value meets system need: Why aligning grid requirements with consumer benefit is critical to unlocking participation.
• The platform model: How software intermediaries are enabling hardware providers and energy retailers to enter flexibility markets.
• Distributed flexibility as capex-light infrastructure: Why aggregating existing assets may offer faster returns than building new ones.

About our guest:

Karl Bach is the co-founder and CEO of Axle Energy, a platform that enables distributed energy assets - from EVs and heat pumps to residential batteries, to participate in electricity and flexibility markets. With over a gigawatt of connected capacity, Axle works behind the scenes to optimise assets and unlock value for hardware providers, energy suppliers, and the grid. Karl brings a systems-level perspective to the conversation, shaped by experience at the intersection of energy markets, technology, and scalable software infrastructure. For more information, head to their website.

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.

All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

As Europe’s energy markets become more volatile and complex, the role of trading and optimisation is evolving fast. Real-time weather data, cross-border constraints, and fluctuating renewable output have made flexibility more valuable than ever, but also harder to manage. In this new environment, the line between asset optimisation and active trading is blurring, and originators are increasingly expected to deliver not just access to market, but strategy, risk management, and scale.

In this episode of Transmission, we explore how the worlds of origination, power trading, and asset management are converging. From route-to-market agreements and co-located batteries to the rise of algorithmic trading platforms and 24/7 market operations, this conversation offers a window into the growing sophistication of Europe’s energy traders and what it takes to stay ahead in a data-driven, weather-dependent system.

In this episode, we cover:

• What energy origination really looks like today: How the role has shifted from pure offtake to strategic optimisation and deep market involvement.

• The growing complexity of trading: Why algorithmic strategies, intraday market moves, and volatility are changing the way energy companies operate.

• Battery storage and co-location models: How different asset types are managed across multiple markets, and how to adapt trading strategies.

• Scaling up software and teams: From startup environments to major trading desks.

• What makes a good offtake partner in 2025: Why trust, systems integration, and risk-sharing now matter more than ever.

About our guest

Rimshah Javed is part of the origination team at Danske Commodities, one of Europe’s largest energy trading houses. With a background in software, route-to-market strategy, and storage commercialisation, Rimshah brings experience from both startup and institutional energy environments. Before joining Danske Commodities, she helped build and scale optimisation offerings for standalone and co-located battery assets, giving her a unique perspective on how flexibility is monetised in today's dynamic energy markets.

Danske Commodities is a leading European energy trading company, active in power and gas markets across more than 40 countries. Founded in Denmark, the company specialises in short-term trading, asset optimisation, and balancing services, helping integrate renewables and manage market volatility across the energy system. For more information on What they do, head to the website. https://danskecommodities.com/

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.

All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work. https://modoenergy.com/

As Europe’s energy markets become more volatile and complex, the role of trading and optimisation is evolving fast. Real-time weather data, cross-border constraints, and fluctuating renewable output have made flexibility more valuable than ever, but also harder to manage. In this new environment, the line between asset optimisation and active trading is blurring, and originators are increasingly expected to deliver not just access to market, but strategy, risk management, and scale.

In this episode of Transmission, we explore how the worlds of origination, power trading, and asset management are converging. From route-to-market agreements and co-located batteries to the rise of algorithmic trading platforms and 24/7 market operations, this conversation offers a window into the growing sophistication of Europe’s energy traders and what it takes to stay ahead in a data-driven, weather-dependent system.

In this episode, we cover:

• What energy origination really looks like today: How the role has shifted from pure offtake to strategic optimisation and deep market involvement.

• The growing complexity of trading: Why algorithmic strategies, intraday market moves, and volatility are changing the way energy companies operate.

• Battery storage and co-location models: How different asset types are managed across multiple markets, and how to adapt trading strategies.

• Scaling up software and teams: From startup environments to major trading desks.

• What makes a good offtake partner in 2025: Why trust, systems integration, and risk-sharing now matter more than ever.

About our guest

Rimshah Javed is part of the origination team at Danske Commodities, one of Europe’s largest energy trading houses. With a background in software, route-to-market strategy, and storage commercialisation, Rimshah brings experience from both startup and institutional energy environments. Before joining Danske Commodities, she helped build and scale optimisation offerings for standalone and co-located battery assets, giving her a unique perspective on how flexibility is monetised in today's dynamic energy markets.

Danske Commodities is a leading European energy trading company, active in power and gas markets across more than 40 countries. Founded in Denmark, the company specialises in short-term trading, asset optimisation, and balancing services, helping integrate renewables and manage market volatility across the energy system. For more information on What they do, head to the website.

When it comes to battery storage deployment in Europe, most of the attention has been focused on familiar markets like the UK, Germany, and southern Europe. But in the background, a quieter shift has been taking place in the Nordics - one that’s now starting to accelerate.

Long seen as too stable, too hydro-dominated, or simply too slow, the Nordic markets were largely overlooked by early battery investors. Yet growing volatility, falling capex, and the evolving needs of a decarbonising grid have started to change the picture.

In this episode of Transmission, we explore what’s driving battery investment in Sweden, Finland, and beyond. From market signals and dispatch dynamics to cross-border optimisation and grid readiness, this conversation offers a window into a part of the European market that’s now waking up and scaling fast. Quentin speaks with Nicklas Bäcker, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer at Ingrid Capacity. Over the course of the conversation, you'll hear about:

• Why the Nordics were initially overlooked: How the prevalence of dispatchable hydro capacity led many investors to undervalue the incremental role of batteries in grid flexibility.
• Shifting storage economics: How declining capex, increased price volatility, and evolving ancillary service markets have improved the commercial viability of BESS in the region.
• Scaling rapidly in a new market: Insights into how more than €250 million was raised to deliver more than 200 MW of battery capacity within a compressed timeframe.
• Complementing hydro with fast-response assets: Why batteries offer unique value even in hydro-heavy systems. From frequency control to short-duration balancing and market arbitrage.
• A cross-border approach to Nordic flexibility: How project developers are expanding into Finland and other markets, and what differentiates the Nordic power system in a European context.

About our guest:

Nicklas Bäcker is Chief Strategy Officer at Ingrid Capacity, one of the fastest-growing battery storage platforms in Northern Europe. With a background in energy markets and infrastructure strategy, Nicklas plays a key role in shaping the company’s growth across Sweden, Finland, and other European markets. Ingrid Capacity currently operates over 200 MW/MWh of battery storage, with an additional 200 MW/MWh under construction—positioning it as a first mover in delivering large-scale flexibility to the Nordic grid. Nicklas brings strategic insight into project development, market entry, and the role of storage in accelerating electrification across Europe. For more information on Ingrid Capacity, head to their website.

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.

All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.

When it comes to battery storage deployment in Europe, most of the attention has been focused on familiar markets like the UK, Germany, and southern Europe. But in the background, a quieter shift has been taking place in the Nordics - one that’s now starting to accelerate.

Long seen as too stable, too hydro-dominated, or simply too slow, the Nordic markets were largely overlooked by early battery investors. Yet growing volatility, falling capex, and the evolving needs of a decarbonising grid have started to change the picture.

In this episode of Transmission, we explore what’s driving battery investment in Sweden, Finland, and beyond. From market signals and dispatch dynamics to cross-border optimisation and grid readiness, this conversation offers a window into a part of the European market that’s now waking up and scaling fast. Quentin speaks with Nicklas Bäcker, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer at Ingrid Capacity. Over the course of the conversation, you'll hear about:

• Why the Nordics were initially overlooked: How the prevalence of dispatchable hydro capacity led many investors to undervalue the incremental role of batteries in grid flexibility.
• Shifting storage economics: How declining capex, increased price volatility, and evolving ancillary service markets have improved the commercial viability of BESS in the region.
• Scaling rapidly in a new market: Insights into how more than €250 million was raised to deliver more than 200 MW of battery capacity within a compressed timeframe.
• Complementing hydro with fast-response assets: Why batteries offer unique value even in hydro-heavy systems. From frequency control to short-duration balancing and market arbitrage.
• A cross-border approach to Nordic flexibility: How project developers are expanding into Finland and other markets, and what differentiates the Nordic power system in a European context.

About our guest:

Nicklas Bäcker is Chief Strategy Officer at Ingrid Capacity, one of the fastest-growing battery storage platforms in Northern Europe. With a background in energy markets and infrastructure strategy, Nicklas plays a key role in shaping the company’s growth across Sweden, Finland, and other European markets. Ingrid Capacity currently operates over 200 MW/MWh of battery storage, with an additional 200 MW/MWh under construction—positioning it as a first mover in delivering large-scale flexibility to the Nordic grid. Nicklas brings strategic insight into project development, market entry, and the role of storage in accelerating electrification across Europe. For more information on Ingrid Capacity, head to their website.

About Modo Energy

Modo Energy helps the owners, operators, builders, and financiers of battery energy storage solutions understand the market - and make the most out of their assets.

All of our podcasts are available to watch or listen to on the Modo Energy site. To keep up with all of our latest updates, research, analysis, videos, podcasts, data visualizations, live events, and more, follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. Check out The Energy Academy, our bite-sized video series breaking down how power markets work.