{
  "id": 9520319,
  "title": "Bulgaria's battery storage boom pays off as summer drought hits power plants",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/24/bulgarias-battery-storage-boom-pays-off-as-summer-drought-hits-power",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-24T08:15:40.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Euronews",
    "slug": "euronews",
    "url": "https://www.euronews.com/2026/09/24/bulgarias-battery-storage-boom-pays-off-as-summer-drought-hits-power-plants"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Bulgaria has seen significant growth in battery storage capacity as Eastern Europe faces a power sector challenge due to a record drought. Over a hundred battery energy storage system (BESS) sites are now operational, primarily constructed in the past two years. These projects utilize former industrial sites, airfields, or existing power stations, including coal-fired plants. Professor Stavros Papathanassiou from the National Technical University of Athens noted that Bulgaria's deployment of storage is unprecedented in Europe, attributing the success to low administrative hurdles, a receptive market for clean energy, and EU funding.\n\nThe battery installations help absorb surplus power from solar installations and feed it back into the grid during high demand. This proved beneficial when low river levels on the Danube disrupted power generation at nuclear and hydroelectric plants in Eastern Europe, increasing electricity import demand. In July and August, Bulgaria exported around 830 gigawatt-hours of electricity per month, more than twice the average in May and June. Romania accounted for nearly half of Bulgaria's outward electricity transfers in July, valued at approximately €74 million.\n\nAt Maritsa East 3, one of Bulgaria's second-largest coal-fired power plants, the transition away from coal is evident. The plant has reduced coal operations in 2024, repurposing grid infrastructure for a battery facility. Vassil Shtonov, head of Bulgaria operations for the British-based power company ContourGlobal, highlighted that the plant's large grid connection enabled the shift to battery storage, noting, \"Coal is out, battery is in. It was the right place at the right time.\"\n\nWhile Bulgaria represents 9% of European battery-storage additions and 2% of solar additions in 2025, it also acknowledges the need for a minimum coal-fired reserve for severe winters or gas supply disruptions. Lennart Herrmann from the Munich-based research and consulting firm FfE suggested that the right incentives could enable a swift energy transition across Europe. Bulgaria's energy ministry reported having around 5.7 gigawatts of operational battery-storage capacity, equivalent to nearly a quarter of Bulgaria's installed power-generation capacity and more than five times Romania's operational capacity.\n\nBusinesses in Bulgaria have signed contracts for nearly 14 gigawatt-hours of large-scale storage, with some projects already operational. The Bulgarian Association for Production, Storage, and Trading of Electricity attributed the battery boom to rapid expansion of solar and wind capacity, with Bulgaria's solar boom particularly notable. Herrmann cautioned that while battery storage supports the grid during temporary power supply drops, it cannot replace a nuclear reactor offline due to drought and has storage limitations of one to six hours.",
  "summary": "Low administrative hurdles, a receptive market for clean energy and EU funding are among the reasons expert cite for the country's leading green energy role in the region.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}