Minister Zhecho Stankov: When the state and business look in the same direction, the result is stable projects for the benefit of Bulgarian energy

"The facility, built from 111 battery containers on the territory of Lovech, will help Bulgaria's energy system remain the most stable in the region. We are the pillar in the Balkans and in Southeast Europe that balances the electricity systems and we have proven this with actions. For this reason, it is important for our country to continue to develop technologically." With these words, the Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov opened the largest electricity storage facility to date in the entire European Union, the energy ministry announced.

The battery has a capacity of nearly 500 megawatt hours and fully meets the needs of the region. "It is the first step towards achieving the goal of having 10,000 megawatt hours of operating batteries in the country within the next year," the Energy Minister emphasized, explaining that such facilities guarantee system security and price stability for households and businesses, ensuring affordable energy.

Minister Stankov recalled that the construction of the first licensed territory for a closed electricity distribution system was possible thanks to a change introduced in the legislation five years ago. In this sense, he was categorical: "When the state and business look in the same direction, the result is stable projects for the benefit of the Bulgarian energy sector. Our task is to reduce the administrative burden and thus give businesses a chance to create new jobs and new investments."

According to the owners, the hybrid park has an installed capacity of nearly 125 megawatts and about 500 megawatt hours of capacity. The Advance Green Energy complex - with batteries, transformer stations, inverters and cabling and a control system - was built in half a year, local media specify.

It consists of 16 modules with 31.3 megawatt-hour capacity and 7.8 megawatts of power. Each includes 111 lithium-iron-phosphate batteries. The system's charging and discharging cycles are 4 hours each.

The hybrid park is connected to the first and only licensed closed distribution network in Bulgaria. It is located on the territory of the Balkan Industrial Park in Lovech.