During a visit to Pernik, Bulgaria, the Battery Storage Europe Platform explored SUNOTEC’s first colocated solar and battery storage plant, a project showcasing how battery storage is revolutionising the energy transition. Located on a former landfill, the installation gives new purpose to the land, combining 32 MWp of solar PV with 61 MWh of battery energy storage.
Discussions on– site highlighted the growing role of battery storage in strengthening Europe’s energy security and competitiveness. As SUNOTEC’s Head of IPP Viktor Stefanov explained, battery systems are essential to ensuring stable power supply and enabling greater independence from volatile energy markets. Yet, he noted that regulatory fragmentation and slow permitting remain major barriers to scaling storage across Europe. Bulgaria’s fast permitting procedures were pointed to as an example of how streamlined legislation can accelerate deployment.
SolarPower Europe’s CEO, Walburga Hemetsberger, emphasised the importance of witnessing firsthand how solar plus storage projects contribute to a flexible, resilient energy system. Battery storage is a cornerstone of Europe’s clean energy transition, enabling the integration of more renewables and supporting a balanced grid. This aligns with the call from the Battery Storage Europe Platform for a tenfold increase in battery storage by 2030, ensuring Europe’s energy security, competitiveness, and decarbonisation goals.
The visit to Pernik underscores the shared commitment of industry and policymakers to accelerate battery storage deployment. Transformative projects like SUNOTEC’s solar and battery plant demonstrate how innovation, supportive regulation, and investment in grids can unlock Europe’s flexibility potential.
Let’s supercharge the energy transition. Join the movement for #10XBatteryStorage in Europe by 2030!
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