French energy giant EDF has announced it will invest €8 billion (£7bn) in energy storage technology until 2035.

It is part of its plans to develop 10GW of additional electricity storage across the world over the next 17 years and become a European market leader.

Projects will include storage batteries as well as pumped storage hydroelectricity.

Africa is also a priority market for the company, with a goal to develop a portfolio of 1.2 million off-grid customers by 2035 through local partnerships.

Jean-Bernard Lévy , EDF’s CEO and Chairman said: “Electricity storage technologies have a potential to radically change the energy sector… The new limit the Group is setting is a 100% carbon-free power system by 2050.”