From around the world: Bulgaria commissions Europe's largest battery system

At the end of May, Bulgaria commissioned a new battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of 124 MW and 496 MWh. It is currently the largest project of its kind in Europe.


Construction took six months
The new large-capacity BESS is located in an industrial zone near the town of Lovech in Bulgaria. It consists of 111 container units. The investor was Advance Green Energy.

The investor's total investment in the BESS amounted to approximately EUR 75 million (CZK 1.9 billion). Part of the costs, amounting to EUR 29.6 million, was covered by a state subsidy from the Bulgarian national RESTORE programme.

The new BESS project was developed near a 106 MW photovoltaic power plant, to which it is connected. The construction of the new largest BESS in Europe took only six months.

The new BESS project and the nearby solar power plant are part of a huge industrial zone controlled by brothers Kiril and Georgi Domuschiev. Both entrepreneurs intend to charge the batteries when electricity prices are low and supply energy to the grid during peak times, thus earning money from arbitrage.


Ambitious battery target
The investor has opted for proven lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4 or LFP) battery technology, which is significantly cheaper than the more familiar lithium-ion batteries. These batteries do not contain rare and scarce cobalt.

At the grand opening, Bulgarian Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov emphasised that this investment is a step towards achieving an operational capacity of 10 GWh of battery storage by the end of next year. He added that this is important for the flexibility, predictability and balance of Bulgaria's electricity grid.

‘The new battery project will help Bulgaria's energy system remain the most stable in the region. We are a pillar in the Balkans and Southeast Europe, balancing electricity grids, and we have proven this with our actions,’ Minister Stankov said.