Bulgaria’s energy minister Zhecho Stankov last week inaugurated what is described as the largest battery energy storage installation currently in operation across the EU -- a nearly 500-MWh system.
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The Bulgarian city of Lovech, northeast of Sofia, hosts the strongest battery energy storage system (BESS) in the Balkans.
The Ministry of Energy even said the new facility, with a capability of 124.1 MW and 496.4 MWh in capacity, is the biggest in the European Union.
It is located in the local industrial zone, which also features a photovoltaic park of 106.2 MW in peak capacity and an 86.2 MW connection.
The energy systems are part of Bulgaria’s first and only closed licensed distribution network.
Balkan Industrial Zone, with the solar power plant and BESS facility, is controlled by brothers Kiril and Georgi Domuschiev.
The two entrepreneurs intend to charge the batteries when the price of electricity is low and use them in peak periods.
The investment in the energy storage facility, worth EUR 75 million, was conducted by Advance Green Energy. Notably, last month, at the RESTORE tender for standalone BESS, the company won a EUR 29.6 million government subsidy for a EUR 45.5 million project.
The construction took only six months.
The facility, which is marking a new stage in Bulgaria’s infrastructure development, consists of lithium iron phosphate (LFP) devices in 16 modules.
Lovech Mayor Stratsimir Petkov claimed the BESS is the fifth-biggest in the world. He said it would contribute to the development of the industrial park.
At the inauguration, Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov stressed that the investment is a step toward reaching 10 GWh in operating battery storage capacity by the end of next year.
“The facility, built from 111 battery containers on the territory of Lovech, will help Bulgaria’s energy system remain the most stable in the region. We are the pillar in the Balkans and in Southeastern Europe that balances electricity systems and we have proven this with actions,â€
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