Global BESS installations grew nearly 50% in 2025. The batteries behind that growth face the same problem ILPEA Galvarplast has spent years solving in electric vehicles: carrying coolant to the battery pack to ensure the correct operation temperature range and reliably for years. We already design and manufacture the fluid-carrying tubing that makes EV battery cooling possible, in-house, from research through industrialization. As BESS scales up to power AI data centers and renewable grids, we think that same discipline matters just as much outside the vehicle.
What is a BESS?
A BESS stores electrical energy in battery cells, typically lithium-ion, so it can be released back into the grid or a facility when needed. Applications range from small commercial installations to grid-scale projects capable of powering hundreds of thousands of homes. Because renewable generation is intermittent, a BESS acts as a buffer: it stores surplus power and releases it during peak demand or when generation dips.
Global installations reached roughly 315 GWh in 2025, up almost 50% from the year before, with most of that growth coming from large, grid-scale projects (Source: Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, via ESS News, January 2026). That growth is expected to continue in 2026, and the bigger these installations get, the more pressure they put on thermal and fluid management systems.
Why thermal management matters
Batteries are sensitive to temperature. Running too hot or too cold reduces performance, shortens lifespan, and raises safety risk. Push temperatures too far and the risk of thermal runaway, a rapid and uncontrolled overheating event, rises sharply. As BESS installations get bigger and cycle faster, they generate more heat, so thermal management has to be part of the design from the start.
A thermal management system for BESS generally needs to:
- Keep temperature consistent across all cells, without hot spots
- Respond quickly to fast charge and discharge cycles
- Work reliably across a wide range of ambient conditions
- Support the safety systems that guard against thermal runaway
AI data centers and the wider energy storage opportunity
One notable shift in the BESS market this year has little to do with solar or wind: it’s AI. Data centers are drawing an increasing share of grid capacity, and on-site battery storage is moving beyond backup power into a core part of how those facilities manage energy (Source: InfoLink Consulting, 2026).
AI infrastructure is just one part of a bigger trend, though. Grid-scale BESS demand is rising overall, pushed by renewable energy integration as much as by data centers. For a company with deep experience in automotive thermal management tubing, that broader growth, not any single segment of it, is where we see the clearest opportunity to apply what we’ve already built for EV battery cooling.
Where fluid management fits in
Liquid cooling depends on the fluid circuit around it: the tubing that carries coolant through the battery pack, plus the connectors and seals. All of it has to withstand continuous circulation, pressure cycling, and temperature swings over the life of the installation, often 15-20 years for grid-scale BESS. A single leak can take out an entire battery rack.
This is the discipline behind ILPEA Galvarplast’s thermal management tubing for the automotive industry. We already design and manufacture the tubing used in EV battery cooling systems, which face comparable demands: continuous coolant flow, resistance to pressure and thermal cycling, and long-term sealing, plus vibration and tighter packaging constraints that come with being in a vehicle.
What sets our approach apart is that the whole process stays in-house, from R&D and prototyping through tooling and industrialization. We hold IATF 16949, CQI CCAP V1P and V2P, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications, and our work is validated through ongoing projects with major automotive OEMs, including a leading American electric vehicle manufacturer.
Q&A: an engineer’s perspective
What’s ILPEA Galvarplast’s connection to battery thermal management? We already design and manufacture the fluid-carrying tubing used in EV battery thermal management systems, engineered fully in-house from research through industrialization, certified to IATF 16949, CQI CCAP V1P/V2P, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001.
How does automotive tubing compare to what BESS needs? The core challenge is the same: reliable coolant circulation and long-term sealing under continuous thermal cycling. A vehicle adds vibration, road conditions, and tighter packaging on top. BESS trades those for scale and a much longer service life, often 15-20 years.
Why is ILPEA looking at energy storage? BESS growth, driven by AI data centers and renewable integration, looks like a natural extension of the thermal management expertise we’ve already built for EV cooling. It’s an opportunity we’re actively exploring, building on work already validated with major automotive OEMs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a BESS?
A large-scale battery installation that stores electricity for later use, commonly paired with solar or wind to balance grid supply and demand.
Why is thermal management critical for BESS?
Batteries are highly sensitive to temperature. Poor thermal management shortens lifespan, hurts performance, and raises the risk of thermal runaway.
Liquid cooling or air cooling for BESS?
Air cooling suits smaller, lower-demand installations. Liquid cooling removes heat more efficiently and is standard for large, high-density projects.
Does ILPEA already work on battery thermal management?
Yes. We design and manufacture the fluid-carrying tubing used in EV battery thermal management systems, in-house, certified to IATF 16949, CQI CCAP V1P/V2P, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001, validated with major automotive OEMs.
