/SOFIA, BULGARIA, January 5, 2026, 9:15 CET, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH™/ A comprehensive funding initiative has been successfully completed, supporting 31 projects for the construction and commissioning of electricity storage facilities. This initiative, part of the National Infrastructure for Storage of Electricity from Renewable Sources (RESTORE 2), has a budget of BGN 228.9 million.
These facilities will collectively provide a usable energy storage capacity exceeding 4,000 MWh. The successful assessment of project proposals concluded on December 15 and confirmed the funding allocation. There was a high level of enthusiasm and engagement among prospective beneficiaries, resulting in 93 project proposals submitted before the November 19, 2025, deadline. However, due to financial constraints, only 31 projects met the funding criteria, while 30 additional proposals, totalling over BGN 100 million, were placed on a reserve list for potential future funding opportunities.
The primary goal of this funding initiative is to foster the development of a robust national infrastructure that facilitates the storage of electricity generated from renewable sources. This infrastructure aims to achieve a minimum usable energy storage capacity of 1,900 MWh, integrated effectively with the national electricity grid. The planned storage facilities are strategically distributed across the country and will be interconnected with the electricity transmission network operated by ESO EAD. Additionally, they will be connected to the local electricity distribution network, ensuring direct connectivity to ESO EAD’s telecommunications framework, specifically the SCADA/EMS systems employed by the organisation. This strategic setup is designed to enhance the reliability and efficiency of electricity management within the national grid, contributing to the advancement of renewable energy utilisation.
The Bulgarian solar power market has been experiencing significant growth since 2021. As a result of the high economic growth in the last 3 years, industrialisation and urbanisation, the demand for new energy generation sources to replace the coal-based power plants in Bulgaria is increasing. By the end of 2024, Bulgaria had a cumulative installed solar capacity of 4,568 MW (4.57 GW), representing an increase of 1,283 MW (1.28 GW) compared to 2023.
For the first half of 2025, almost 450 MW (0.45 GW) of new solar power capacity has been installed in the country, and the cumulative capacity is currently close to 5,000 MW (5 GW).
In 2023, for the first time, Bulgaria joined the group of European countries that installed more than 1 GW of new capacity in a single year. Several large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects with a power capacity above 100 MW were launched into commercial operation in Bulgaria between 2021 and 2024. The utility-scale sector dominates the installed solar capacity, with a share of 77%.
The battery energy storage system (BESS) market in Bulgaria will experience robust growth by 2030 in the co-located/behind-the-meter (BTM) and front-of-the-meter (FTM) segments. Together with the already approved at the end of April 2025, 82 projects for the construction of batteries for the storage of electricity under the Recovery and Sustainability Plan for nearly BGN 1.2 billion (€ 600 million), awaiting the signing of contracts, and 30 reserve projects for which additional money is still being sought through the new chapter of the plan – RePowerEU, Bulgaria intends to become a balancing force in the region.
By the end of 2028, Bulgaria is expected to install between 17 GWh and 25 GWh of new battery energy storage systems, according to the Central East and South East Europe Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Market Outlook 2025 ÷ 2034.
For a brief review about the key topics on the Bulgarian energy storage market, please access it here: Bulgaria Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Market White Paper 2025
For more detailed information and answers to your questions about the Bulgarian energy storage market, a list of tender-winning projects for 2024/2025 YTD and their owners, and related content, you may read here: Bulgaria Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Market Outlook 2025 – 2034
For a better understanding of the benefits of using our reports, you may read here: Benefit List – Reports of Renewable Market Watch – 2025
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