Return

Europe has more solar and wind power than ever. So why are we still relying on fossil fuels when demand peaks? The answer is not a lack of clean energy. It’s a lack of connection. Return connects renewable energy sources, battery storage, and the grid, helping clean power move where and when it’s needed most. Follow Return to learn how smarter energy infrastructure can bring Europe closer to a fully renewable future.

Battery flexibility becomes more valuable when you can bring it to market at scale. We’re partnering with Centrica Energy under a new long-term Virtual Tolling agreement covering 100 MW / 400 MWh of battery storage flexibility. Rather than relying on one dedicated battery, the capacity is delivered through our Virtual Flexibility Portfolio, bringing together flexibility from across our physical battery assets. And that’s where the partnership really comes together: Return brings the assets and operational expertise, while Centrica brings deep trading and optimisation expertise. For us, it’s another step in building a model that connects our growing battery portfolio with strong market partners and makes flexibility easier to access and optimise at scale. Great to get this partnership underway with the Centrica Energy team. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eaBi-MVF

One week to go... and we're ready. Next week, our Director of Origination, Yuri Ouweneel, will be representing Return at the Long Duration Energy Storage Council (LDES Council) Annual Member Meeting 2026. If you're attending, don't hesitate to reach out. Yuri is looking forward to discussing the opportunities long-duration energy storage creates for the future energy system. Want to meet up? Connect with him via [email protected] See you in Madrid, 6-7 October. #EnergyStorage #FlexibleEnergy #CleanEnergy #EnergyTransition

Heading to Stockholm: Green Power Sweden Summit 2026 Conference: 6–7 October 2026, Stockholm If you’re attending and working in storage, flexibility, energy trading, or renewable infrastructure, feel free to reach out. We’re always happy to exchange perspectives and explore potential cooperation. Interested? Send a message to Claudiu Zaharia or email [email protected] to meet up.

It took one blackout to remind Europe how much it depends on electricity. When the power went out across Spain and Portugal in April 2025, the consequences reached far beyond the electricity grid. Transport stopped, businesses were disrupted and essential services came under pressure. On this International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, the UN's 2026 theme, Resilience Starts at Home, is a timely reminder that resilience cannot wait until systems fail. It needs to be built into the infrastructure we depend on every day. For Europe's electricity system, that means more than generating cleaner energy. It means ensuring that power remains reliable under pressure. And large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) have an important role to play, providing the flexibility and grid-support capabilities needed as our energy systems evolve. The World Economic Forum has highlighted the importance of stronger cross-border interconnections, grid modernisation and energy storage in strengthening Europe's energy resilience. But while Europe's electricity systems are increasingly interconnected, the challenges they face are far from identical. In Spain, the blackout brought system stability into sharp focus. In the Netherlands, severe grid congestion is already restricting new connections for businesses and homes. In Germany, the growing share of renewable energy calls for greater flexibility to balance supply and demand. And in emerging European markets, there is an opportunity to integrate resilience into energy infrastructure from the outset. Different challenges, but a shared responsibility to act. This brings us back to the question at the heart of this year's theme: Where does our responsibility for resilience begin? For Return, home isn't defined by one headquarters or one country. It's every market where we operate, every energy system we help strengthen, and every community that depends on reliable electricity. As a member of the World Economic Forum's Unicorn Community, we contribute to the wider conversation about Europe's energy future. And through developing and operating large-scale battery energy storage systems across European markets, we help turn that ambition into action, with solutions tailored to the challenges of each market. Because building a resilient European energy system requires more than shared ambitions. It requires taking responsibility where we can make a difference, before the next crisis reminds us why it matters. Resilience starts at home. For us, that means every market where we operate.

Handelsblatt Energiespeicher 2026: two days of discussion in Düsseldorf, with many impulses for scaling up storage. Our colleague Lena Lehmeier, Head of Origination Germany, gave an Impuls talk at the Handelsblatt Energiespeicher 2026 conference in Düsseldorf on 7 October: “On-demand flexibility: how virtual storage platforms are reorganising the BESS market.” Our core message: it takes three things together- a strong regulatory framework, market-based instruments and faster access to flexibility. With our virtual portfolio, we are working on the third point: flexibility as a standardised plug-and-play solution. Other important conference topics addressed included FCAs, the implementation of AgNes, and regulatory uncertainty around investment decisions (FID). All very important for further development of the German BESS landscape. Thank you to Handelsblatt Live for the invitation, and to everyone for the on-site exchange.