Eclipse and BNP Paribas Form Strategic Partnership to Accelerate Battery Storage Deployment in Europe
Eclipse, a leading battery energy storage developer, operator, and energy trading company, has entered into a strategic partnership with BNP Paribas, one of the largest banking institutions in the Eurozone, to accelerate the deployment of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across Europe. The agreement includes a strategic equity investment by BNP Paribas in Eclipse, underscoring both organizations’ shared commitment to strengthening Europe’s energy resilience and advancing the clean energy transition.
The partnership aims to combine Eclipse’s deep technical expertise in battery storage development and optimization with BNP Paribas’ financial structuring capabilities and longstanding experience in European power markets. Together, the two companies intend to scale up battery storage capacity, enhance market flexibility, and provide innovative financing and risk management solutions tailored to the rapidly evolving energy landscape.
An Integrated Approach to Battery Storage
Eclipse has established itself as an integrated BESS player, operating across the full battery storage value chain. The company develops, owns, and operates industrial-scale battery energy storage assets, while also optimizing both its own portfolio and third-party assets through its proprietary algorithmic trading platform, Flowstream.
Flowstream enables real-time optimization of battery storage systems by leveraging advanced data analytics and algorithmic trading strategies. The platform allows Eclipse to respond dynamically to market signals, capture value across multiple revenue streams, and maximize asset performance in wholesale electricity markets. This capability is increasingly critical as renewable energy penetration grows and market volatility increases.
Currently, Eclipse maintains a robust development pipeline of 16 projects located in France and Belgium, representing a combined capacity of approximately 850 megawatts (MW). These projects are expected to play a significant role in stabilizing grids, integrating renewable generation, and supporting Europe’s decarbonization objectives.
By combining project development expertise with sophisticated market optimization capabilities, Eclipse has built a dual business model that offers both operational excellence and financial performance optimization. This integrated approach positions the company as a key player in Europe’s fast-expanding battery storage sector.
Financing Innovation and Merchant Risk Management
Under the new partnership, BNP Paribas will provide tailored financing solutions designed specifically for battery energy storage projects. These solutions include structured debt and equity instruments, as well as hedging products aimed at managing merchant risk — one of the primary challenges facing standalone battery storage assets.
Merchant exposure in electricity markets can introduce significant revenue volatility. By leveraging BNP Paribas’ balance sheet strength, credit profile, and structuring expertise, the partnership seeks to reduce asset-level cost of capital and enhance bankability for BESS projects.
In addition to financing support, the collaboration will enable Eclipse and BNP Paribas to jointly offer long-term offtake arrangements. These agreements are designed to provide revenue certainty for storage projects while maintaining flexibility to participate in dynamic electricity markets. BNP Paribas’ credit strength enhances the credibility and attractiveness of these long-term solutions, while Eclipse’s real-time trading and optimization capabilities ensure efficient asset utilization.
The bank brings more than two decades of experience in European physical and financial power markets, having actively traded electricity for over 20 years. This depth of market knowledge will complement Eclipse’s operational capabilities and support the development of innovative revenue models for storage assets.
Leadership Perspectives
Augustin Derville, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Eclipse, emphasized the strategic importance of the partnership in scaling battery storage across Europe.
“Eclipse has developed unmatched expertise across the Battery Energy Storage System value chain, combining project development with grid-scale optimization capabilities,” Derville said. “This dual business model gives us a unique understanding of market dynamics. The partnership with BNP Paribas will enable us to deliver long-term revenue solutions to our clients, along with robust asset financing to support the growth of battery storage across Europe.”
From BNP Paribas’ perspective, the collaboration aligns with its broader sustainability and energy transition objectives.
Olivier Osty, Deputy Chief Operating Officer of BNP Paribas Group and CEO of BNP Paribas Corporate & Institutional Banking (CIB), highlighted the strategic alignment between the two companies.
“This innovative partnership between BNP Paribas and Eclipse reflects our shared commitment to building a more resilient energy infrastructure for Europe,” Osty stated. “By combining Eclipse’s expertise in industrial-scale battery storage with BNP Paribas’ financial and structuring capabilities, we are developing solutions that enhance market flexibility, efficiency, and sustainability. This will help utilities, independent power producers, and corporates navigate the energy transition while contributing to the European Union’s broader objectives of energy resilience and strategic autonomy.”
Supporting Europe’s Energy Transition
The timing of the partnership reflects broader structural shifts underway in global and European energy markets. Electricity demand is rising steadily, driven by the electrification of transport systems, heating and cooling in buildings, industrial decarbonization, and digital infrastructure growth. At the same time, renewable energy sources — primarily wind and solar — are expected to meet nearly all incremental electricity demand over the coming decades.
As electricity consumption expands and renewable generation becomes more dominant, energy storage systems are increasingly recognized as critical infrastructure. Battery storage enhances grid stability, balances intermittent renewable generation, and provides fast-response flexibility services essential for maintaining reliable power systems.
By mid-century, electricity is projected to account for roughly half of global final energy consumption, marking a profound shift in energy usage patterns. Achieving this transformation will require agile market structures, innovative financing mechanisms, and advanced digital optimization platforms.
Europe, in particular, presents significant investment opportunities in renewable generation, storage, and grid modernization. Policy frameworks aimed at enhancing energy security, reducing carbon emissions, and strengthening strategic autonomy have created favorable conditions for infrastructure investment.
The Eclipse–BNP Paribas partnership is designed to capitalize on these opportunities. By combining technical innovation with financial strength, the collaboration seeks to accelerate the deployment of next-generation energy assets while ensuring economic sustainability.
Strengthening Energy Security and Market Stability
Beyond decarbonization, battery storage plays a pivotal role in enhancing energy security. As geopolitical uncertainties and supply chain disruptions have underscored the importance of resilient domestic energy systems, Europe has intensified efforts to build a more flexible and self-reliant electricity infrastructure.
Battery storage assets provide critical services such as frequency regulation, peak shaving, congestion management, and reserve capacity. These capabilities help stabilize grids, reduce reliance on fossil-fuel peaker plants, and mitigate price volatility in wholesale markets.
Through their partnership, Eclipse and BNP Paribas aim to support producers and consumers alike by improving system reliability and reducing exposure to extreme market fluctuations. The integrated offering of financing, risk management, and optimization services creates a comprehensive framework for scaling storage deployment efficiently.
As Europe advances toward a low-carbon, electrified future, collaborations between technology-driven energy companies and major financial institutions are expected to play a defining role. The strategic alliance between Eclipse and BNP Paribas exemplifies this model — blending innovation, capital strength, and market expertise to deliver resilient, sustainable energy infrastructure across the continent.
Source Link: https://www.businesswire.com/
