Renalfa IPP, a Vienna-based developer and independent power producer, announced on Monday the commencement of commercial operations for a 25-MW/55-MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Bulgaria, marking a significant milestone as the country's largest operational BESS to date.
Located alongside a 33-MWp photovoltaic (PV) plant in Razlog, southwestern Bulgaria, the project went live at the beginning of June, representing Renalfa IPP's inaugural utility-scale BESS endeavor.
“This co-located utility-scale battery marks the start of hybridisation of our over 1 GW portfolio of renewable assets in operation and in construction,” stated Renalfa IPP spokesperson Nick Antonov. He emphasized the developer's intention to replicate similar solutions across their wind and solar assets in neighboring regions such as Hungary and Romania.
“The main goal is to fully mitigate the PV profile risk of the generators,” Antonov added.
The newly operational BESS facilitates the time shifting of solar peak production and supports electricity market arbitrage. Operational management is handled by electricity trader KER Toki Power, utilizing technology provided by Hithium and Kehua. Solarpro Technology, a division of Renalfa Solarpro Group, oversaw the project's design, installation, and grid integration.
Renalfa IPP operates as a joint venture between Vienna-headquartered Renalfa Solarpro Group GmbH, originally founded in Bulgaria, and French infrastructure fund manager RGreen Invest.
