Smolyan VE announced the commissioning of its new 80 MW / 320 MWh energy storage facility located in Smolyan, Bulgaria. The project is one of the first utility-scale four-hour battery energy storage systems (BESS) in operation in Bulgaria. It is expected to help stabilize the grid and support the country’s renewable energy transition by providing additional capacity to balance electricity supply throughout the day.
Smolyan VE is a joint venture between Rodopi Grid Services and affiliates of Ventura Energy Partners CE, a Bulgarian-American joint venture focused on energy development in Bulgaria. Manol Boyadzhiev, Country Manager and Partner in Ventura Energy Partners CE, said: “We are proud to have completed this project in our hometown in partnership with Rodopi Grid Services, another local business.”
Rodopi Grid Services is a large Bulgarian electrical services company that operates within Bulgaria’s rapidly growing smart energy and green transition network. Kremen Krassin of Rodopi Grid Services states that, as a Smolyan-based company, they are “pleased to have been able to enhance the local grid with this project.”
Solarpro was EPC contractor in Smolyan VE’s project
The company responsible for the development and construction of the project for the joint venture is Solarpro, one of the largest EPC contractors in Southeastern Europe. “Solarpro did an outstanding job delivering the project on a tight timeline. The RESTORE program was well organized and efficiently administered, which contributed significantly to the successful implementation of the project,” added Manol Boyadzhiev.
The facility’s ongoing management will be overseen by Solarpro’s affiliates.
The CEO of the company, Adelin Antonov, commented: “We are proud to have delivered this project to the highest quality standards, combining best-in-class technology with Solarpro’s proven engineering and operational expertise. In cooperation with our sister company KER Toki Power EAD, a leading energy trading company specializing in renewables and BESS optimization across the CEE region, we are well positioned to manage the new asset efficiently. The facility will participate across all market segments while delivering balancing capacity to the grid.”
Growing importance of BESS in Southeast Europe
Initial operational results from the Smolyan facility indicate stable performance under real operating conditions.
“The performance of the Smolyan facility confirms the growing importance of utility-scale battery storage across Southeast Europe,” shared Clara Nagy McBane, Co-Founder and CEO of Ventura Energy Partners. “We see Bulgaria as a market with significant potential for advanced energy infrastructure and we are dedicated to contributing to solutions that improve energy security,” added Clara Nagy McBane.
