Bulgaria’s 161 MW Maglizh solar plant with BESS officially opened

Hybrid photovoltaic power plant Maglizh in central Bulgaria has officially launched operations following the installation of a co-located battery energy storage system (BESS). The solar park has a peak capacity of 161 MW, while the BESS has an operating power of 36 MW and a capacity of 72 MWh.

Maglizh, one of the largest solar projects in Bulgaria, is a joint investment by 360 Energy and Solars Energy, a firm owned by the majority shareholders of Eurohold (Evrohold), according to an announcement from Eurohold’s subsidiary Electrohold.

The solar power plant entered commercial operation last September, with the developers announcing the BESS project was underway.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony for the solar-plus-storage facility in the municipality of Maglizh was attended by over 100 guests, including representatives of investors, local and national authorities, financial institutions, and the business community, Electrohold said.

Electrohold’s subsidiary Electrohold Trade, one of the largest licensed electricity traders in Bulgaria, is a commercial partner for the sale of the green energy produced at Maglizh.

The projected annual output of the facility is sufficient to meet the electricity consumption of more than 65,000 households, according to the announcement. Annual CO2 emissions savings are estimated at 200,000 tons.

The plant’s projected annual output is sufficient to meet the needs of over 65,000 homes

The investment in Maglizh was supported by Bulgaria’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan and a banking consortium comprising United Bulgarian Bank (UBB), Ascory Bank, Raiffeisen Bank International, Postbank, and UniCredit Bulbank. According to earlier updates, the photovoltaic plant cost EUR 100 million to build.

The engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the solar facility was Sofia-based solar and battery developer Sunotec, while the BESS was built by ESCO Bulgaria.

Electrohold earlier said that the solar park consisted of Jinko Solar’s panels and that the BESS would use Huawei batteries. The grid connection facilities belong to Electricity System Operator (ESO), Bulgaria’s transmission system operator.