site.btaSolar Academy: Bulgaria Risks Falling Behind in Energy Transition

Bulgaria could fall behind in the energy transition unless it swiftly adopts a framework for battery systems, Solar Academy Bulgaria said on Wednesday.

According to the Solar Academy, the lack of regulation is already delaying projects, increasing costs, and jeopardizing future investment, despite a record rise in renewable energy over the past two years. While the European Union needs to increase its energy storage capacity tenfold by 2030, and battery installations in Europe grew by 60% in 2024, Bulgaria still has neither a regulatory framework nor a national strategy for energy storage. Frequent refusals to connect new renewable energy projects and the limited capacity to manage grid load are clear signs that, without storage, Bulgaria cannot expand its share of clean energy.

Europe is set to adopt its first comprehensive strategy for energy storage in early 2026, establishing standards for investment, technology, and markets. Solar Academy Bulgaria’s chair, Veselin Todorov, warned that battery storage is not just an add-on to renewables but the backbone of a productive and competitive economy. He noted that Bulgaria faces mounting risks: grid stress, growing price volatility, and missed investment opportunities, as battery manufacturers are already favouring Central and Eastern Europe.

Todorov added that without a clear framework, investors are moving on to Romania, Greece, or Hungary, and stressed that energy storage is “hidden infrastructure” determining where new businesses are set up and whether industries have predictable costs. He concluded, “If Bulgaria wants to be a producer, not just a consumer, it must begin storing energy.”

Experts at Solar Academy Bulgaria argue that Bulgaria could become a regional leader if it acts in 2026 to pass storage legislation, create a national battery programme, modernize the grid, and provide incentives for battery component industries.

Solar Academy Bulgaria has regularly commented on the sector. In 2022 it warned that administrative barriers were discouraging investors who want to build photovoltaic plants, and in a February 2024 interview its chair Veselin Todorov said Bulgaria has stronger solar potential than Romania and can use cross-border exchanges to balance production.

European and national efforts are advancing energy storage expansion. In November 2024, the European Commission approved EUR 590 million to fund energy storage projects in Bulgaria. In July 2025, the Bulgarian battery storage project BG EXERON X-BESS received strategic status under the EU Net-Zero Industry Act.

In October 2025 a new high-tech factory for battery energy storage systems of International Power Supply opened in Sofia’s Hemus Industrial Park, while Korean companies have been exploring investment opportunities in Bulgaria for energy storage batteries, solar parks and logistics hubs.

Energy Minister Zhecho Stankov and the Energy System Operator have repeatedly noted that large-scale energy storage will be key if Bulgaria is to become a balancing energy power and a regional leader on the electricity market, relying on cross-border capacity and storage systems as part of a more resilient energy mix.