{"id":2160511,"date":"2026-09-24T08:15:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T05:15:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2160511"},"modified":"2026-09-24T08:15:40","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T05:15:40","slug":"bulgarias-battery-storage-boom-pays-off-as-summer-drought-hits-power-plants","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2160511","title":{"rendered":"Bulgaria&#8217;s battery storage boom pays off as summer drought hits power plants"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/58\/13\/1200x675_cmsv2_d8883c8a-e5a9-529d-a359-4e3b321f4253-9925813.jpg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"abe-2928223-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2928223\" data-cid=\"9925950\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928223-label-pos1-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/59\/50\/189x106_cmsv2_9f192b66-f16b-57fc-9d5b-509322844c8b-9925950.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrives at the port in Laem Chabang, 2 September, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    USA<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US admits there were eight suicide attempts on US aircraft carrier\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928227-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2928227\" data-cid=\"9925887\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928227-label-pos2-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/56\/85\/189x106_cmsv2_86709d4e-a808-53de-9d59-7fb9d6850ba5-9925685.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A person holds an umbrella, pausing in the shade of an information board while crossing Lisbon&apos;s Pra\u00e7a do Com\u00e9rcio on a hot September day.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Climate<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Autumn begins but summer heat lingers in Portugal, catching tourists off guard\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928069-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2928069\" data-cid=\"9924938\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928069-label-pos3-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/49\/38\/189x106_cmsv2_194b3fa7-bb7c-5d2e-9138-b403b157bdb6-9924938.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Osama Rizvi, Global Market and Product Strategist at Primary Vision\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe Today<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Energy expert warns higher prices will drive up food costs\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928076-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-1 m-modeDesktop-1 m-modeXL-1\" data-nid=\"2928076\" data-cid=\"9924946\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928076-label-pos4-c-latest-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/49\/46\/189x106_cmsv2_a9f58a37-d939-5517-8f56-733ca6848663-9924946.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Amanolu will be Aman&apos;s first hotel in the Maldives\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Travel News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    This Maldives hotel will have an entire island dedicated to wellness\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928223-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2928223\" data-cid=\"9925950\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928223-label-pos1-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/59\/50\/189x106_cmsv2_9f192b66-f16b-57fc-9d5b-509322844c8b-9925950.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"The US Navy aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln arrives at the port in Laem Chabang, 2 September, 2026\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    USA<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    US admits there were eight suicide attempts on US aircraft carrier\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928227-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2928227\" data-cid=\"9925887\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928227-label-pos2-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/56\/85\/189x106_cmsv2_86709d4e-a808-53de-9d59-7fb9d6850ba5-9925685.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"A person holds an umbrella, pausing in the shade of an information board while crossing Lisbon&apos;s Pra\u00e7a do Com\u00e9rcio on a hot September day.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Climate<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Autumn begins but summer heat lingers in Portugal, catching tourists off guard\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928069-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--has-video\" data-nid=\"2928069\" data-cid=\"9924938\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928069-label-pos3-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/49\/38\/189x106_cmsv2_194b3fa7-bb7c-5d2e-9138-b403b157bdb6-9924938.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Osama Rizvi, Global Market and Product Strategist at Primary Vision\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Europe Today<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Energy expert warns higher prices will drive up food costs\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2928076-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2\" data-nid=\"2928076\" data-cid=\"9924946\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2928076-label-pos4-c-latest-stories-sidebar\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/49\/46\/189x106_cmsv2_a9f58a37-d939-5517-8f56-733ca6848663-9924946.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Amanolu will be Aman&apos;s first hotel in the Maldives\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n                    Travel News<\/p>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    This Maldives hotel will have an entire island dedicated to wellness\n  <\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article class=\"helper-site-row o-article-newsy\">\n<div class=\"helper-site-container o-article-newsy__container\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__main\">\n<header class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__header\">\n<nav aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs\">\n<div id=\"adb-article-breadcrumb\" class=\"c-article-breadcrumbs__list\">\n<p>                          Europe<\/p>\n<p>                          Europe News<\/p><\/div>\n<\/nav>\n<h1 class=\"c-article-redesign-title\">\n                            Bulgaria&#8217;s battery storage boom pays off as summer drought hits power plants<\/h1>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-video u-position-relative \">\n<div class=\"js-superdiv u-aspect-ratio-16x9 u-position-relative \" data-controller=\"video-player\" data-sponsored=\"Partner content\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"js-poster-img c-article-media__img\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/58\/13\/1536x864_cmsv2_d8883c8a-e5a9-529d-a359-4e3b321f4253-9925813.jpg\" width=\"1536\" height=\"864\" loading=\"eager\" alt=\"ContourGlobal\u2019s BESS project in the Stara Zagora region, January 2026\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-caption u-position-absolute\"><i id=\"article-caption-content\" class=\"c-article-caption__content\"><span class=\"c-article-caption__text\"><br \/>\n              ContourGlobal\u2019s BESS project in the Stara Zagora region, January 2026<br \/>\n                    <span class=\"u-color-white\">&#8211;\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__copyright\">Copyright\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"c-article-caption__credit\">@ContourGlobal<\/span><\/span><\/i><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-image-copyright c-article-image-copyright--novideo\">\n      Copyright\u00a0@ContourGlobal\n  <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"h-grid o-article-newsy__main__body u-article-content\">\n<div class=\"o-article-newsy__contributors-publication-date\">\n<div class=\"c-article-contributors\">\n  By&amp;nbsp<b>Euronews<\/b><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-publication-date\" data-timestamp=\"1790237740\">\n         Published on<br \/>\n            <time datetime=\"2026-09-24 10:15:40 +02:00\">24\/09\/2026 &#8211; 10:15 GMT+2<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment-popup-overlay js-c-article-share-comment-popup-overlay u-display-none\">\n<div id=\"js-c-article-share-comment-popup\" 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alt=\"vk\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>VK<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-vk.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"vk\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-bluesky.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"bluesky\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Bluesky<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-bluesky.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"bluesky\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"threads\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Threads<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-threads.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"threads\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><span class=\"u-display-flex u-gap-1 u-show-for-mobile-only\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"24\" height=\"24\" alt=\"whatsapp\" loading=\"lazy\"><span>Whatsapp<\/span><\/span><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/vector\/social-icons\/article-redesign-whatsapp.svg\" width=\"48\" height=\"48\" alt=\"whatsapp\" class=\"u-show-for-desktop\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<h2 class=\"c-article-summary\">\n        Low administrative hurdles, a receptive market for clean energy and EU funding are among the reasons expert cite for the country&#8217;s leading green energy role in the region.<br \/>\n    <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-content js-article-content\">\n<p>As Eastern Europe&#8217;s power sector has taken a hit from a record drought, Bulgaria has benefitted from building out battery storage capacity alongside its rapid solar expansion.<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-mobile-only\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-ad u-show-for-desktop\">\n<div class=\"c-ad__placeholder\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"c-ad__placeholder__logo\" src=\"https:\/\/static.euronews.com\/website\/images\/logos\/logo-euronews-stacked-outlined-72x72-grey-9.svg\" width=\"72\" height=\"72\" alt loading=\"lazy\"><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Around a hundred battery energy storage system (BESS) sites are now operating, most of them built in the past two years.<\/p>\n<p>The large-scale projects take advantage of former industrial sites and airfields or are integrated into existing power stations, including coal-fired plants.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The scale and speed of storage deployment in Bulgaria is unprecedented in a European context,&#8221; Stavros Papathanassiou, a professor at the National Technical University of Athens, told the AFP news agency.<\/p>\n<p>Low administrative hurdles, a receptive market for clean energy and EU funding are among the reasons expert cite for the country&#8217;s leading role in the region.<\/p>\n<p>The battery installations absorb surplus power from solar installations and feed it back into the grid when demand rises.<\/p>\n<p>That proved a boon when exceptionally low levels on the River Danube disrupted power generation at nuclear and hydroelectric plants in Eastern Europe, boosting demand for electricity imports.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.5575\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/58\/13\/808x451_cmsv2_012f043f-080e-5421-bfdf-eff15f4afb60-9925813.jpg\" alt=\"ContourGlobal\u2019s BESS project in the Stara Zagora region, January 2026\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">ContourGlobal\u2019s BESS project in the Stara Zagora region, January 2026<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">@ContourGlobal<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>In July and August, Bulgaria, one of the EU&#8217;s poorest countries, recorded net electricity exports of around 830 gigawatt-hours a month, more than twice the average in May and June.<\/p>\n<p>In July alone, Romania accounted for nearly half of Bulgaria&#8217;s outward electricity transfers, valued at an estimated \u20ac74 million.<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Reducing coal reliance<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>At Maritsa East 3, once Bulgaria&#8217;s second-largest coal-fired power plant, the shift away from dependence on the fuel is visible on the ground.<\/p>\n<p>Built under communism with four generating units, the plant sharply reduced coal operations in 2024, repurposing existing grid infrastructure for a battery facility.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We could leverage the large connection to the grid. We decided to disconnect one coal unit and connect batteries,&#8221; said Vassil Shtonov, head of Bulgaria operations for the British-based power company ContourGlobal.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Coal is out, battery is in. It was the right place at the right time,&#8221; Shtonov told AFP, though he said Bulgaria should maintain a minimum coal-fired reserve for severe winters or disruptions to gas supplies.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.657\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/58\/13\/808x532_cmsv2_7fd3f67d-dc89-57ea-8354-45ea4daddcbf-9925813.jpg\" alt=\"A train passes by Republika Power Plant in town of Pernik, 21 April, 2022\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">A train passes by Republika Power Plant in town of Pernik, 21 April, 2022<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>While Bulgaria accounted for about 9% of European battery-storage additions and about 2% of solar additions in 2025, it can &#8220;serve as a positive example for other European nations,&#8221; said Lennart Herrmann at the Munich-based research and consulting firm FfE.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The right incentives&#8230;can enable a swift energy transition,&#8221; he told AFP.<\/p>\n<p>The Bulgarian energy ministry said the country had around 5.7 gigawatts of operational battery-storage power capacity this month.<\/p>\n<p>That is equivalent, in power terms, to nearly a quarter of Bulgaria&#8217;s installed power-generation capacity overall and more than five times neighbouring Romania&#8217;s operational battery capacity.<\/p>\n<p>Businesses in Bulgaria have also signed contracts for nearly 14 gigawatt-hours of large\u2011scale storage, part of which has already come online.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The aim is for storage systems to find a sustainable role in the market,&#8221; the ministry said, adding that it &#8220;must go hand in hand with other investments, such as in transmission and distribution grids.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-widget-related\" data-stories-id data-event=\"widget_related\">\n<div class=\"c-widget-related__title\"><b class=\"c-widget-related__title__text\" lang=\"en\">Related<\/b><\/div>\n<ul class=\"c-widget-related__list\" id=\"abe-article-related-1\">\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">Central Asia boosts green energy, infrastructure and SMEs with EBRD funds<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-widget-related__item\">Greece has cheap green energy in abundance. So why are electricity bills still so high?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<h2><strong>&#8216;By chance&#8217;<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Nikola Gazdov, president of Bulgaria&#8217;s Association for Production, Storage and Trading of Electricity, attributed the battery boom to a combination of factors rather than a crafted strategy.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Everything happened almost by chance,&#8221; he told AFP.<\/p>\n<p>Solar and wind capacity has expanded rapidly across the region, but Bulgaria&#8217;s renewables boom has been particularly solar-heavy, creating growing daytime surpluses.<\/p>\n<p>And in Bulgaria, large battery projects can be up and running in just nine to 18 months, much less than many solar or wind projects, Gazdov added.<\/p>\n<p>But battery storage technology has its limits.<\/p>\n<div class=\"widget widget--type-image widget--size-fullwidth widget--animation-fade-in widget--align-center\" data-ratio=\"0.702\">\n<div class=\"widget__wrapper\">\n<div class=\"widget__ratio widget__ratio--auto\">\n<div class=\"widget__contents\">\n<figure class=\"widget__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"widgetImage__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/58\/13\/808x569_cmsv2_9f479bab-048d-52d7-9223-c5a36d68a9b3-9925813.jpg\" alt=\"Wind power generators are seen through an electric station near the village of Bozhurec east of Sofia, 6 April, 2010\"><figcaption class=\"widget__caption\"><span class=\"widget__captionWrap\"><span class=\"widget__captionText\">Wind power generators are seen through an electric station near the village of Bozhurec east of Sofia, 6 April, 2010<\/span><span class=\"widget__captionCredit\">AP Photo<\/span><\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>One is that grid connections with neighbouring countries are limited in the amount of current they can transport.<\/p>\n<p>Another is that current batteries can store power only for relatively short periods, &#8220;typically between one and six, sometimes up to eight hours,&#8221; said Herrmann at FfE.<\/p>\n<p>So while they can support the grid in case of a temporary drop in power supply, they cannot replace a nuclear reactor that goes offline due to drought.<\/p>\n<p>And their success could ultimately reduce their own profitability, because when more BESS operators buy electricity when prices are low and sell it back at peak times, the gap between the two price periods will narrow.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<footer class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-contributors c-article-contributors-supplementary u-margin-top-2 u-padding-top-2\">\n<p>Additional sources<strong> \u2022 AFP<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/footer>\n<p>                                  Go to accessibility shortcuts<\/p>\n<div class=\"c-article-share-comment u-align-items-center u-display-flex\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__links u-align-items-center u-display-flex u-justify-content-center js-c-article-share-comment-share\"><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Share<\/span><\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label\">Comments<\/span><span class=\"c-article-share-comment__label c-article-share-comment__label--always\">Add Euronews on Google<\/span><\/div>\n<div id=\"adb-article-you-might-also-like\" class=\"perf-cv-auto c-article-you-might-also-like\">\n<h2 class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__title\">\n        Read more<br \/>\n      <\/h2>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Ukrainian drone explodes near border between Romania and Bulgaria, Kyiv promises inquiry<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  &#8216;Those responsible must face the consequences&#8217;: Iran again warns Bulgaria over US aircraft deployment<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"c-article-you-might-also-like__item\">\n<h3>\n<p>                  Targeting Patriarch Kirill risks fuelling EU scepticism, Bulgarian foreign minister warns<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"perf-cv-auto\">\n<ul id=\"adb-article-tags\" class=\"c-tags-list\">\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  wind energy<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  green energy<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  battery<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Solar energy<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"c-tags-list__item\">\n<section class=\"tc-cta\" data-twig-component=\"Cta-default\">\n  Bulgaria<br \/>\n<\/section>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tp-vuukle\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"c-vuukle-skeleton__header\"><span 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class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/44\/07\/320x180_cmsv2_b3a3bc97-5088-5b20-b03c-428968dd4be5-9924407.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Montenegro&apos;s Prime Minister Milojko Spajic.\" height=\"9\" width=\"16\"><\/figure>\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Montenegro&#8217;s EU accession bid faces bilateral issues with Croatia<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927750-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-2 m-modeDesktop-2 m-modeXL-2 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927750\" data-cid=\"9923339\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<figure id=\"abe-2927750-label-pos6-top-stories\" class=\"the-media-object__figure\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"the-media-object__image\" src=\"https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/33\/39\/320x180_cmsv2_2b797543-2d0f-5ab9-a3c0-09b7171da77a-9923339.jpg\" 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class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Taylor Swift announces new single \u2018Patient Zero\u2019 &#8211; and faces backlash for cover art<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927504-pos3-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--has-video the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927504\" data-cid=\"9922016\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Fuel taxes in Europe: Which country taxes petrol the most?<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927773-pos4-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927773\" data-cid=\"9923538\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    &#8216;I&#8217;m done with medical abuse&#8217;: actor Arnaud Denis dies by euthanasia in Belgium<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<article id=\"abe-2927726-pos5-mostViewed\" class=\"the-media-object m-modeMobile-3 m-modeDesktop-3 m-modeXL-3 the-media-object--no-label\" data-nid=\"2927726\" data-cid=\"9923181\" data-part-label=\"Partner content\">\n<div class=\"the-media-object__content\">\n<h3 class=\"the-media-object__title  \">\n<p>    Exclusive: EU sounds alarm over weapons brought back from Ukraine<br \/>\n  <\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"articleBody\" data-key=\"articleBody\">As Eastern Europe&#8217;s power sector has taken a hit from a record drought, Bulgaria has benefitted from building out battery storage capacity alongside its rapid solar expansion.Around a hundred battery energy storage system (BESS) sites are now operating, most of them built in the past two years.The large-scale projects take advantage of former industrial sites and airfields or are integrated into existing power stations, including coal-fired plants.&#8221;The scale and speed of storage deployment in Bulgaria is unprecedented in a European context,&#8221; Stavros Papathanassiou, a professor at the National Technical University of Athens, told the AFP news agency.Low administrative hurdles, a receptive market for clean energy and EU funding are among the reasons expert cite for the country&#8217;s leading role in the region.The battery installations absorb surplus power from solar installations and feed it back into the grid when demand rises.That proved a boon when exceptionally low levels on the River Danube disrupted power generation at nuclear and hydroelectric plants in Eastern Europe, boosting demand for electricity imports.In July and August, Bulgaria, one of the EU&#8217;s poorest countries, recorded net electricity exports of around 830 gigawatt-hours a month, more than twice the average in May and June.In July alone, Romania accounted for nearly half of Bulgaria&#8217;s outward electricity transfers, valued at an estimated \u20ac74 million.Reducing coal relianceAt Maritsa East 3, once Bulgaria&#8217;s second-largest coal-fired power plant, the shift away from dependence on the fuel is visible on the ground.Built under communism with four generating units, the plant sharply reduced coal operations in 2024, repurposing existing grid infrastructure for a battery facility.&#8221;We could leverage the large connection to the grid. We decided to disconnect one coal unit and connect batteries,&#8221; said Vassil Shtonov, head of Bulgaria operations for the British-based power company ContourGlobal.&#8221;Coal is out, battery is in. It was the right place at the right time,&#8221; Shtonov told AFP, though he said Bulgaria should maintain a minimum coal-fired reserve for severe winters or disruptions to gas supplies.While Bulgaria accounted for about 9% of European battery-storage additions and about 2% of solar additions in 2025, it can &#8220;serve as a positive example for other European nations,&#8221; said Lennart Herrmann at the Munich-based research and consulting firm FfE.&#8221;The right incentives&#8230;can enable a swift energy transition,&#8221; he told AFP.The Bulgarian energy ministry said the country had around 5.7 gigawatts of operational battery-storage power capacity this month.That is equivalent, in power terms, to nearly a quarter of Bulgaria&#8217;s installed power-generation capacity overall and more than five times neighbouring Romania&#8217;s operational battery capacity.Businesses in Bulgaria have also signed contracts for nearly 14 gigawatt-hours of large\u2011scale storage, part of which has already come online.&#8221;The aim is for storage systems to find a sustainable role in the market,&#8221; the ministry said, adding that it &#8220;must go hand in hand with other investments, such as in transmission and distribution grids.&#8221;&#8216;By chance&#8217;Nikola Gazdov, president of Bulgaria&#8217;s Association for Production, Storage and Trading of Electricity, attributed the battery boom to a combination of factors rather than a crafted strategy.&#8221;Everything happened almost by chance,&#8221; he told AFP.Solar and wind capacity has expanded rapidly across the region, but Bulgaria&#8217;s renewables boom has been particularly solar-heavy, creating growing daytime surpluses.And in Bulgaria, large battery projects can be up and running in just nine to 18 months, much less than many solar or wind projects, Gazdov added.But battery storage technology has its limits.One is that grid connections with neighbouring countries are limited in the amount of current they can transport.Another is that current batteries can store power only for relatively short periods, &#8220;typically between one and six, sometimes up to eight hours,&#8221; said Herrmann at FfE.So while they can support the grid in case of a temporary drop in power supply, they cannot replace a nuclear reactor that goes offline due to drought.And their success could ultimately reduce their own profitability, because when more BESS operators buy electricity when prices are low and sell it back at peak times, the gap between the two price periods will narrow.<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.euronews.com\/2026\/09\/24\/bulgarias-battery-storage-boom-pays-off-as-summer-drought-hits-power-plants&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/images.euronews.com\/articles\/stories\/09\/92\/58\/13\/1200x675_cmsv2_d8883c8a-e5a9-529d-a359-4e3b321f4253-9925813.jpg&#8221;] USA US admits there were eight suicide attempts on US aircraft carrier Climate Autumn begins but summer heat lingers in Portugal, catching tourists off guard Europe Today Energy expert warns higher prices will drive up food costs Travel News This Maldives hotel will have an entire island dedicated to wellness USA US [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[90],"tags":[226,36],"class_list":["post-2160511","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-international","tag-crawlmanager","tag-euronews-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2160511","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2160511"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2160511\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2160511"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2160511"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2160511"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}