/18^th December 2020, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Solar photovoltaic (PV) power in the European Union had a strong performance in 2020 despite the negative health, social and economic effects of the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic, revealed the recent update of Europe Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Power Market Outlook: 2020 ÷ 2030.  The EU member states installed 18.2GW of solar power capacity in 2020, an 11% improvement over the 16.2GW deployed in the previous year, according to the recently released report EU Market Outlook for SolarPower 2020-2024 by SolarPower Europe. With minimal solar power installation activity in Bulgaria and Romania in the last few years, the prediction model of SolarPower Europe shows the up-and-coming gigawatt new solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity addition opportunities for Bulgaria and Romania by 2024. SolarPower Europe’s growth assumptions are much higher than the targets formulated by EU member states in their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP). But with drivers for solar energy in Europe only getting stronger, the foundation is laid for further rapid growth in the coming years.

/16^th April 2021, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Development of operational solar PV power plants in Bulgaria started with very moderate steps in 2007 but progressed with fast paces after the second half of 2010. At the end of 2018 cumulative installed solar PV capacity in Bulgaria reached 1,036 MW. Several large scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects with a capacity above 50 MW have been announced in Bulgaria after 2018 and these projects will be built between 2021 and 2024. In the last few years, Bulgaria has been the focus of the investors’ interest. The political stability and predictability due to the NATO membership and to the EU accession, the stable economic perspective and the growing credit rating of the country and its institutions were only some of the elements attracting the investors’ interest. External investors have been attracted by rapidly developing national industry, highly skilled workforce and significant new market.

/LONDON, May 18, 2022, 9:15 BST, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Development of operational solar PV power plants in Bulgaria started with very moderate steps in 2007 but progressed at fast paces after the second half of 2010. At the end of 2021, Bulgaria's cumulative installed solar PV capacity reached 1,186 MW. Several large scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects with a capacity above 50 MW have been announced in Bulgaria after 2018, and these projects will be built between 2022 and 2024. In the last few years, Bulgaria has been the focus of the investors’ interest. Furthermore, Bulgaria quickly has to diminish its dependency on Russian energy imports, and solar power is one of the best renewable energy alternatives. 

/LONDON, March 7, 2023, 9:30 GMT, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Development of operational solar PV power plants in Bulgaria started with very moderate steps in 2007 but progressed at fast paces after the second half of 2010. At the end of 2022, Bulgaria's cumulative installed solar PV capacity exceeded 1,500 MW (1.5 GW). Several large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects with a power capacity above 50 MW were launched into commercial operation in Bulgaria in 2022. Local and international investors will build new solar projects between 2023 and 2025. In the last few years, Bulgaria has been the focus of the investors’ interest. Furthermore, Bulgaria quickly has to diminish its dependency on Russian energy imports, and solar power is one of the best renewable energy alternatives. 

/18^th January 2021, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Bulgarian Commission on Protection of Competition Approved the Acquisition of 42 MW Wind Farm of MET Group from Enel Green Power. The Swiss-based MET Renewables Holding AG has notified the Commission for Protection of Competition in Bulgaria of its intention to acquire sole direct control over Enel Green Power Bulgaria EAD. The parent company is a subsidiary of the Italian Enel Green Power, which is part of the Enel Group and its activities are related to the management of 42 MW wind farm consisting of two sites with a total number of 14 SPV companies that own 14 wind turbines of 3 MW each, all in Northeastern Bulgaria. The buyer, MET Renewables Holding AG is a new company, but it is backed by the Swiss group MET, with direct owner MET Holding AG. However, it has been operating in Bulgaria since 2017 through its subsidiary MET Energy Trading Bulgaria. It is active in the electricity trading market at freely negotiated prices.

/28^th September 2020, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Тhе Мunісіраl Соunсіl оf Наѕkоvо hаѕ іѕѕuеd at the end of August 2020 рrеlіmіnаrу аррrоvаl fоr thе соnѕtruсtіоn оf а giant solar рhоtоvоltаіс (PV) power рlаnt with 400 MWp capacity nеаr thе vіllаgеѕ оf Кnіzhоvnіk аnd Dоlnо Vоуvоdіnо, located in the Haskovo District of South Bulgaria. Тhе іnvеѕtоr whо wіll buіld thе рlаnt іѕ Еnеrу ВG 1, whісh іѕ а рrојесt соmраnу оf thе Аuѕtrіаn hоldіng Еnеrу Dеvеlорmеnt GmbН. Тhе рhоtоvоltаіс power рlаnt іѕ ехресtеd tо gеnеrаtе 560,000,000 КWh оf сlеаn еnеrgу аnd ѕаvе 650,000 tоnѕ оf саrbоn dіохіdе еmіѕѕіоnѕ реr уеаr, according to the company. Furthermore, it will open over 50 permanent jobs and additional jobs during the construction phase of the project that will take up to 12 months. Vіеnnа-bаѕеd Еnеrу Dеvеlорmеnt, fоundеd іn 2019, іѕ аn іnvеѕtmеnt соmраnу fоr rеnеwаblе еnеrgу іnfrаѕtruсturе thаt рrоvіdеѕ сlеаn еnеrgу tо іtѕ сuѕtоmеrѕ.

/28^th December 2020, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ The Swiss-based MET Renewables Holding AG has notified the Commission for Protection of Competition in Bulgaria of its intention to acquire sole direct control over Enel Green Power Bulgaria EAD. The parent company is a subsidiary of the Italian Enel Green Power, which is part of the Enel Group and its activities are related to the management of 42 MW wind farm consisting of two sites with a total number of 14 wind turbines, all in Northeastern Bulgaria. The buyer, MET Renewables Holding AG is a new company, but it is backed by the Swiss group MET, with direct owner MET Holding AG. However, it has been operating in Bulgaria since 2017 through its subsidiary MET Energy Trading Bulgaria. It is active in the electricity trading market at freely negotiated prices.

/LONDON, December 27, 2021, 10:00 GMT, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ The Swiss energy company MET Group finalised the transaction for a 100% stake in a 60MW wind park in Bulgaria. MET Group signed a share purchase agreement with Spanish Grupo Enhol to acquire the operating wind asset earlier (on 30 July 2021) this year. With this acquisition, the company continues to follow its target of 500MW operational renewable energy power plants in the Central East Europe (CEE) region by 2023. The transaction is essential in achieving MET’s renewables growth targets in the CEE region of 500 MW in operation by 2023.

/LONDON, November 9, 2023, 10:15 GMT, RENEWABLE MARKET WATCH^TM/ Development of operational solar PV power plants in Bulgaria started with very moderate steps in 2007 but progressed at fast paces after the second half of 2010. In the middle of 2023, Bulgaria's cumulative installed solar PV capacity exceeded 2,100 MW (2.1 GW). Several large-scale solar photovoltaic (PV) projects with a power capacity above 100 MW were launched into commercial operation in Bulgaria in 2022 and 2023. Local and international investors will build new solar projects between 2024 and 2026. In the last few years, Bulgaria has been the focus of the investors’ interest. Furthermore, Bulgaria has to diminish its dependency on Russian energy imports quickly, and solar power is one of the best renewable energy alternatives. The recent changes in the renewable energy legislation promulgated in the State Gazette on 13 October 2023 are supposed to propel further the growth of the Bulgarian solar photovoltaic energy market.

/26^th May 2021, 3SIIF/ The Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund, invests in RP Global-backed renewables developer Enery Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund S.A. SICAV-RAIF (‘3SIIF’, ‘the Fund’) announces that it has made its first investment in the energy sector, acquiring a significant interest in Enery Development GmbH (‘Enery’), an operations-led renewable energy developer. The existing shareholders, RP Global and Enery Management, will remain invested with a long-term vision to partner for growth within the Three Seas region. The investment is due to complete following merger control approvals. Enery owns a portfolio of 85MW of operating solar generation assets in Bulgaria, Czech Republic and Slovakia and has a significant development portfolio of over 2GW in a number of Three Seas countries, including Romania, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Solar Photovoltaic (‘PV’) generation has yet to be widely deployed in Central and Eastern Europe (‘CEE’) despite the ideal conditions with high levels of irradiation and availability of suitable land. The increasingly pressing requirement to decarbonise the CEE region is expected to present substantial opportunities for renewables investment in the near term.