IFBF 2027 – Preliminary programme
22–24 June 2027 at the Barceló Sants Hotel, Barcelona, Spain, and online. A pre-conference workshop takes place on Monday 21 June.
Over three days, the 2027 edition of the International Flow Battery Forum will highlight recent global developments in flow battery technology, including large-scale installations, AI and data centre applications, transport uses, and advances in research and manufacturing. The event brings together manufacturers, customers, investors and researchers to address supply chain readiness, financing and large-scale deployment, in a setting that combines high-level technical content with commercial networking.
With an increasing number of flow battery installations in several markets, the conference addresses the key issues that determine the commercial viability and the investment profile of flow battery projects.
What the programme covers
The programme will feature keynote addresses alongside insights into recent flow battery projects across Europe, North America and Asia, exploring key successes, ongoing challenges and future opportunities. Particular attention will be given to large-scale installations, including critical IT infrastructure, and to the specific demands created by artificial intelligence and data centres. The programme will also examine emerging applications for flow batteries, including developments in the transport sector.
Bringing together leading international researchers, the event will showcase the latest scientific and technological achievements and discuss their implications for flow battery manufacturers. As research, experimentation and validation increasingly intersect with commercial deployment, the programme will highlight how technical and commercial challenges are being addressed to enable broader market adoption.
Dedicated sessions will focus on supply chain development, manufacturing advances, and the steps required to achieve large-scale production. Customers, investors and financial advisors have been invited to contribute to discussions on project financing, market readiness and new investment opportunities.
Spain and Catalonia as the host market
Spain is building one of Europe’s largest storage pipelines. The national energy and climate plan sets a target of 22.5 GW of energy storage by 2030, covering batteries, pumped hydro and solar thermal, and Catalonia accounts for a substantial share of the standalone battery projects now in the connection queue. The utilities, developers and the system operator working through that build-out are the audience this programme is written for.
That build-out is happening against the memory of the Iberian blackout of 28 April 2025. The ENTSO-E expert panel’s final report, published in March 2026, found no single cause: it pointed to oscillations, gaps in voltage and reactive power control, differing regulation practices, and cascading generator disconnections. Storage was not among the causes the panel identified, and the Forum will not pretend otherwise — but the event moved voltage control, system strength and grid-forming capability to the top of the agenda for every operator in Europe, and those are questions flow batteries have a stake in. Sessions in Barcelona will examine what storage can contribute to system stability, and what it cannot.
The programme will include Spanish and Catalan case studies — projects in development, in construction and in operation — presented by the people running them, alongside the European, North American and Asian projects above. Day 3 closes with a site visit in Catalonia.
The four days
| Day | What happens |
|---|---|
| Day 0 Monday 21 June | Pre-conference workshop. Details to follow. |
| Day 1 Tuesday 22 June | A full day of presentations, panel discussions, networking breaks and the exhibition area at the Barceló Sants Hotel. Conference dinner in the evening. |
| Day 2 Wednesday 23 June | Presentations, panel discussion, networking breaks and the exhibition area through the morning and early afternoon. Speed pitching and the poster session from 4pm, followed by the networking cocktail reception from 6pm. |
| Day 3 Thursday 24 June | Presentations, poster awards and networking breaks at the hotel in the morning. Site visit in Catalonia in the afternoon. |
The conference dinner on Day 1 and the site visit on Day 3 are charged separately unless your ticket already includes them. See ticket prices, or read the call for proposals if you would like to present.
This is a preliminary outline. The full programme, with session titles and speakers, will be published on this page.