site.btaRomanian TV Calls Bulgaria "Battery of the Balkans" for Its Energy Storage Capacity

A report broadcast on June 8 by Romanian television channel Antena 1 said Bulgaria has done better in the energy sector and described the country as the "battery of the Balkans".

The report said Bulgaria has combined its growing renewable energy production with large-scale investments in energy storage infrastructure, allowing it to buy inexpensive electricity from neighbouring countries during periods of low demand, store it and sell it during peak consumption hours. "After getting their finances in order and switching to the euro, the Bulgarians have set themselves another goal: to become the 'battery of the Balkans'. The southern neighbours are now doing more than just producing energy. They import it almost for free from Romania or Greece, store it and resell it, to us and to the Greeks, at peak times, when prices are eight times higher," the report said.

Prepared by Greta Neagu, with reporting from Bulgarian journalist Vladimir Mitev and contributions from energy experts on both sides of the Danube, the report argues that Romania generates large amounts of low-cost renewable energy during the day but lacks sufficient storage capacity.

According to the report, Bulgaria has invested heavily in battery storage and pumped-storage hydropower facilities. It was in third place in Europe last year, after Germany and Italy. In the last 12 months, Bulgaria has managed to add over 3,800 MW of battery storage capacity and it can store up to 12,000 MWh of electricity in these batteries.

The report said Bulgaria can maintain its electricity grid for up to two and a half hours in the event of a major outage using batteries and pumped-storage hydropower plants, while Romania's system can operate for no more than 15 minutes under similar conditions.

Antena 1 also reported that despite having access to approximately EUR 15 billion in EU funding for the energy sector, Romania failed to develop a coherent strategy for energy storage.

According to the report, electricity prices in Bulgaria during evening peak hours are more stable and lower than in Romania, with the difference reaching EUR 180 per megawatt-hour in favour of Bulgaria.

Economic analyst Razvan Nicolescu was quoted as saying that Romania sells electricity cheaply, "and the crux of the matter is that we also sell energy that, for the most part, was developed with state support - granting some subsidies or European funds - and then we buy it at a much more expensive peak".

Silvia Vlasceanu, director of the Electricity Producers Association, said Bulgaria had taken a different approach by supporting battery storage projects from the outset. While initially considered a risky and expensive investment, the policy has resulted in significantly greater installed storage capacity, she said.

"We'll end up watching our neighbours evolving and we'll just say: But why didn't we do it when we should have?" said Silvia Vlasceanu.