Storage Technologies and Pathways in Renewable-Energy Research on National Energy Independence: A Keyword Analysis
Purpose: The study investigates the evolution of energy-storage technologies within renewable-energy research and examines how technological priorities have changed in response to the growing importance of energy security and energy independence. Particular attention is devoted to identifying the dominant storage technologies, emerging technological pathways, and recent shifts in research focus associated with the post-2022 energy environment. Design/Methodology/Approach: The study uses a bibliographic dataset comprising 472 Scopus-indexed publications related to renewable energy, energy storage, and energy independence/security at national and supranational scales. A technology-oriented analysis was conducted using author-keyword occurrence, co-occurrence network analysis, Average Publication Year (APY), and Total Link Strength (TLS). Storage-related keywords were identified, classified into technology families, and examined in terms of their frequency, network embeddedness, and temporal position within the literature. Findings: The results indicate that battery-based technologies remain the dominant storage pathway, with battery energy storage systems representing the most visible and strongly connected technological keyword within the literature. At the same time, hydrogen-related technologies, including green hydrogen and Power-to-X pathways, occupy the most recent positions in the research landscape. Pumped hydro storage remains a well-established and highly integrated system-scale storage option. The findings suggest increasing diversification of storage technologies and a growing research focus on long-duration, hydrogen-based, and sector-coupling solutions. Practical implications: The results provide insights for policymakers, energy planners, and investors by identifying technologies that are attracting growing scientific attention and are likely to play an important role in future energy systems. The findings may support strategic decisions concerning renewable-energy deployment, storage investments, energy-system flexibility, and energy-security planning. Originality/value: The study contributes to the literature by examining the technological evolution of storage-supported renewable energy systems rather than focusing exclusively on energy-storage technologies or energy-security concepts separately. It provides a technology-oriented perspective on the changing priorities of renewable-energy research and identifies the storage pathways that increasingly support energy-security and energy-independence objectives.