Grid-Forming Battery Storage: Enabling Renewable-Dominant Power Systems for a Sustainable Future

Achieving energy sustainability requires a transition from fossil fuel-based to renewable-dominant power systems (RDPSs). However, this shift introduces significant grid stability challenges, primarily due to the reduced synchronous dynamics traditionally provided by conventional thermal power plants. To enhance RDPS resilience, grid-forming battery energy storage systems (GFM-BESSs) have emerged as a pivotal solution, emulating the dynamic behaviors of synchronous generators (SGs). With efficient bidirectional power interaction and fast response, GFM-BESSs actively enhance grid stability through virtual inertia, voltage support, enhanced synchronization, and restoration capability. In this review, we establish the GFM-BESS as a standalone and integral grid infrastructure in RDPSs. We first identify the stability risks in RDPSs and systematically examine the role of the GFM-BESS in supporting grid stability. We then investigate the coordination between multiple hierarchical control layers of the GFM-BESS, including the battery management system (BMS), power converter system (PCS), energy management system (EMS), and grid EMS (GEMS), which collectively address its operational complexities across different timescales. Based on the grid stability requirements, we evaluate the technical benefits of GFM-BESS deployment and discuss potential monetization approaches for the economic value of GFM-BESSs in RDPSs. Finally, highlighting the potential of GFM-BESSs in driving the sustainable energy transition, we conclude with a strategic road map that identifies the collaborative synergies of multiple stakeholders, from hardware manufacturers to policymakers, outlining key opportunities for future research to advance GFM-BESSs as a cornerstone of the 100% renewable energy goal.