Romania and Bulgaria Drive Central and Eastern European Storage Growth
The Central and Eastern European (CEE) region is witnessing a rapid acceleration in battery energy storage system (BESS) deployments, led by aggressive regulatory approvals and substantial state funding in Romania and Bulgaria.
Romania's Regulatory Acceleration
Romania's national energy regulatory authority (ANRE) recently approved establishment authorizations for a massive 669 MW of battery storage projects in a single day. This includes 429 MW of independent storage and 240 MW co-located with generation, equivalent to 62% of the country's currently operational battery power capacity. As of September 2026, Romania's operational commercial batteries reached 1,084.72 MW of power and 2,310 MWh of energy capacity, driven by a 17% growth in August alone.
Romania's approval of 669 MW of battery storage in a single day marks a historic milestone for the country's grid flexibility and renewable integration capabilities.
Bulgaria's Massive Financial Backing
While Romania accelerates through regulatory streamlining, Bulgaria is leveraging significant financial incentives. By May 2026, Bulgaria had already installed approximately 3,318 MW of power and over 8,600 MWh of energy capacity, roughly three times the power capacity of Romania. To sustain this momentum, Bulgaria's Ministry of Energy selected 82 independent storage projects under the first round of the RESTORE program. Funded through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the program allocates 1.149 billion leva (approximately €588 million) in grants, covering up to half of the construction costs for 9,712.89 MWh of usable capacity.
These developments highlight a robust shift in the CEE region, where policymakers are actively utilizing both administrative and financial tools to build a resilient, storage-rich energy infrastructure.
Source: Ziare
This article was assisted by AI analysis. Please refer to the original source for official information.