Can hybrid power systems ease the strain on Europe’s power grid?

Energy solutions company Aggreko has urged European industry and policymakers to adopt a more pragmatic approach to decarbonising the power grid, emphasising the importance of hybrid energy systems built around flexible gas generation.

The company warned that, as countries like Germany, France and the Nordics push ahead with renewables, industrial demand and variable renewable output do not always align, and grid reinforcement timelines are often measured in years rather than months. 

As a potential fix, the company cites how, as industries from manufacturing to data infrastructure expand across Europe, many are turning to hybrid energy systems that combine gas generation, battery storage and onsite renewables. 

Such systems allow each technology to perform the function it is best suited for: batteries handle rapid fluctuations, renewables reduce emissions when available, and gas provides the dispatchable, longer-duration power needed to maintain stability during periods of low renewable output. 

Such tech, says Aggreko, is particularly relevant in energy-intensive sectors - including the rapidly growing data centre clusters in the ‘FLAPD’ markets (Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris, and Dublin), where large continuous loads and tight operational tolerances make power security essential. 

Commenting in a release was Alan Dunne, Managing Director for the UK & Ireland at Aggreko: “The reality is that businesses cannot afford to wait for perfect conditions. They need solutions that support resilience today while enabling decarbonisation tomorrow.”

According to Dunne, it is here where hybrid systems prove their value, “because they solve practical problems. 

“They keep critical operations running when grid conditions are tight, they integrate smoothly with renewables, and they allow businesses to operate more sustainably without increasing risk.” 

Of course, Aggreko has a significant stake in such technologies, offering its own intelligent mix of solar, battery storage, and thermal generation, which they say can keep operations powered around the clock.

But they are not the only energy sector stakeholder bringing hybridisation onto the agenda as a critical strategy for system resilience.

Hybridisation as a mindset shift

At Enlit Europe in Bilbao last year, industry leaders from Iberia framed hybridisation as more than a technical upgrade. 

For example, Silvia Encinas Hernanz, Strategic Growth Director at EDP Spain, described it as “a change in mindset: it’s about doing more with what we already have.”

Maria del Carmen Vozmediano Serrano, Head of Development Renewables at Iberdrola, highlighted that hybrid projects can raise generation capacity without requiring equivalent grid investment. For developers, the CAPEX is often lower than that of standalone assets because existing infrastructure can be leveraged.

Said Serrano: “The reality here in Spain is that access to the grid is blocked. So, lots of developers have to take advantage of hybridisation to be able to keep on investing in renewable generation.”

Gregorio Morales Schmid of Sonnedix called hybridisation “the real breakthrough we’ve seen in renewables”, while acknowledging that financial innovation must keep pace. Banks, he noted, are still adapting to the inclusion of storage and hybrid structures in project finance models.

Hybrid projects in Iberia, such as EDP’s Alqueva floating solar-hydro project, illustrate how co-located technologies can make renewables more resilient and better aligned with system needs. 

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Another area of interest in the realm of hybridisation has been long-duration energy storage (LDES), which can manage multi-day variability and provide grid inertia.

In an exclusive interview, Oonagh O’Grady, Vice President of International Origination at Hydrostor, called LDES “the missing link” in Europe’s energy transition. 

LDES projects require 8–10 years to deliver, making early policy frameworks, clear procurement schedules, and investment de-risking mechanisms critical for scaling deployment. 

According to O’Grady, embedding long-duration flexibility now will allow Europe to meet its 2030 renewable targets without compromising reliability or locking in fossil fuel dependency.