In the southeastern Bulgarian city of Kazanlek, a planned energy storage facility next to a solar power plant is currently surveying the terrain and will become one of the key projects in the country's second batch of energy storage subsidy programs in the future.

In just one year, energy storage projects in Bulgaria have become one of the most closely watched investment targets in Europe. In December 2025, Bulgaria's second round of large-scale energy storage subsidy program, Resilience 2, completed project review. Originally planned to support 1.9 GWh of energy storage capacity, it received 93 project proposals, far exceeding the expected capacity.The final 31 selected projects will create over 4GWh of energy storage capacity, with a total investment of 228.9 million Bulgarian lev.

Energy storage boom driven by policies

The rapid development of Bulgaria's energy storage market is due to the strong promotion of EU policies. The Resilience program is part of Bulgaria's national recovery and sustainable development plan, directly funded by the European Union. This subsidy mechanism is highly attractive: the funding amount can cover up to 50% of the qualified costs of the project, and the maximum funding limit for a single project is 148.6 million lev, providing strong guarantees for the commercial feasibility of large-scale energy storage projects. After the successful completion of the first round of STORE plan in April, only four months later, the second round of bidding was launched immediately. The first round of the plan received a much better than expected response, selecting 82 independent renewable energy storage projects that provide nearly 10 GWh of energy storage capacity, more than three times the original target of 3 GWh.

The successful implementation of the two round plan highlights Bulgaria's enormous potential as an emerging energy storage market in Europe. All approved projects must be completed and put into operation before March 2026, with a tight schedule that reflects the country's urgent need to accelerate energy transition.

Business opportunities in energy transition

Bulgaria's urgent need for energy storage facilities stems from a profound adjustment of its energy structure. As one of the countries with the highest carbon emission intensity in the European Union, Bulgaria's carbon emissions per unit of GDP are almost twice the EU average. This country is accelerating its energy transition, with plans to add approximately 3GW of renewable energy installed capacity by 2030 and gradually phase out coal-fired power by 2038.

Energy storage systems play a crucial role in regulating grid stability and maximizing the utilization of renewable energy. As of the end of 2024, Bulgaria's installed photovoltaic capacity has reached 3.91GW, with an additional 1GW added in 2024 alone. The rapid growth of clean energy has put higher demands on the flexibility of the power grid.

Investors are optimistic about the commercial prospects of energy storage projects. According to energy analysis agencies, energy storage systems in the Bulgarian electricity market can generate an annual revenue of approximately 170 euros per megawatt hour, with a cost of only 60 euros per megawatt hour and a net profit margin of up to 183%. This considerable economic return, coupled with policy support from the European Union, has attracted active participation from global investors, including Chinese companies. Keywords: Energy Storage Latest News, Energy Storage New Energy News

The explosive response of Bulgaria's two rounds of energy storage bidding not only reflects the acceleration of the EU's green energy transformation, but also reveals the key position of the energy storage industry in the global energy revolution. With the implementation of 31 new projects, over 4GWh of energy storage capacity will be injected into the Bulgarian power grid, further enhancing the flexibility and stability of the country's power system.Editor/Cheng Liting