The largest battery in the EU has been put into operation in Bulgaria. It has 496 MWh

A 124 MW/496.2 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), the largest in the European Union, has been inaugurated in the city of Lovech, located in the central-northern part of the country, the local administration announced, quoted by the press.

The project represents an investment of 147 million leva (75.2 million euros) by the Sofia-based renewable energy company Advance Green Energy, controlled by two local entrepreneurs, Kiril and Georgi Domuschiev, according to the national news agency BTA.

The battery storage system, located in the Balkans industrial park, is composed of batteries, transformer stations, inverters, a control system and comprehensive technical security measures, the local administration of Lovech said in a statement.

“The facility, built from 111 battery containers on the territory of the Lovech municipality, will help keep Bulgaria’s energy system the most stable in the region,” said Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov.

“We are the pillar of the Balkans and Southeastern Europe in balancing the electricity systems.” This BESS is the first step towards the national goal of reaching an operational battery storage capacity of 10,000 MWh next year,” he said.

The storage system was completed in six months, and Georgi Domuschiev gave much of the credit for the speedy permitting process to the local authorities in Lovech. Until now, one of the few BESS systems with a significant capacity in Bulgaria was a 25 MW / 55 MWh facility commissioned by Renalfa IPP in 2024.