Industrial companies in Serbia are comparing battery ownership with buying flexibility as a service after the SEEPEX day-ahead price reached about EUR 368.6/MWh at hour 20 on 15 October. A small number of costly hours can account for a large share of procurement costs, making peak-price management a commercial decision.
A battery charged earlier can cut electricity purchases during peak periods. Industrial storage can also support on-site solar, reduce imbalance and provide short-duration resilience for sensitive processes. These benefits are most closely linked to a factory’s own operations.
Companies that own and operate storage must select the technology, manage warranties and maintain the battery’s charge level. They also need to decide whether to use it only behind the meter or take part in electricity markets. Those operational and market decisions can influence how much value the company retains.
Grid rules for industrial storage
Serbia’s EMS framework provides certain active customers with a simplified technical-study route for internal storage below 10 MW, provided the system cannot export electricity. The study costs EUR 15,000 plus VAT. This route can lower the entry barrier for some industrial sites considering storage.
Service models shift operating risks
With flexibility as a service, a third party can finance and dispatch the battery under a shared-savings, tolling or availability contract. The arrangement can keep the asset outside the industrial company’s core operating agenda and shift technology and dispatch risk away from businesses that do not specialise in energy trading. In exchange, the customer gives the service provider a share of the battery’s potential upside.
The decision depends on how much of the battery’s value is tied directly to the factory. Ownership can make sense when most returns come from avoiding peak purchases and improving process resilience. Where the economics depend heavily on balancing and merchant trading, a specialist operator may be better placed to take on the risk. Companies need to compare site-specific savings with the risks and potential returns of market optimisation.
