ContourGlobal has inaugurated a new, advanced battery energy storage system (BESS) in Bulgaria. Orion Energy Partners’ system has a noteworthy fully dispatchable capacity of 500 megawatt-hours (MWh). This place is located in the Stara Zagora region, an important industry and energy hub in Bulgaria. It is an enormous victory for the future of the country’s energy infrastructure.
The new BESS has a breath-taking footprint of 25,000 square meters. It sits within the perimeter of the ME3 TPP, a locally important but toxic coal-fired power plant. The system is impressive in terms of battery technology, with 110 BYD supplied battery skids. It features 28 integrated power conversion systems and transformer packages. This unique mix of resources places the facility to be a tremendous asset to Bulgaria’s energy future.
At the heart of the commissioning ceremony was the remarkable collaboration between key stakeholders. Among those present of prominence were ContourGlobal CEO Antonio Cammisecra, Bulgaria’s Minister of Energy Zhecho Stankov and Galabovo’s Deputy Mayor, Eng. This experience really drove home how critical the project is for our regional energy storage needs.
ContourGlobal is pursuing additional energy storage projects at the same site. The company has now completed the build of their second BESS. With a capacity of 202 megawatts (MW), the project is now fully operational. Together, both facilities are working to lead actively, competitively, and responsibly within Bulgaria’s national electricity market. For one, they release models for both the day-ahead and intraday segments.
Antonio Cammisecra expressed pride in the project, stating, “The commercial operation of our 202MW/500MWh BESS plant represents a significant step forward for battery storage development in Bulgaria and underscores ContourGlobal’s ability to deliver large-scale storage solutions across different markets and technologies.”
He further elaborated on the company’s commitment to energy storage, saying, “We have built a sizeable presence in battery energy storage, with this project in Bulgaria representing a key contribution to our 3GWh portfolio of operating BESS projects.”