site.btaBulgaria May Limit Renewable Energy Production Due to Lack of Maneuverable Capacities, ESO Chief Says

In Bulgaria, the electricity production from renewable energy sources (RES) may be limited due to the lack of maneuverable capacities in the system, which would enable this energy to be stored or its production to be compensated, said here on Tuesday the Executive Director of the Electricity System Operator (ESO), Angelin Tsachev, during a round table on "Electricity Networks and Network Services - Challenges for Energy Transition and Market Liberaliaation", organised by the Institute for Energy Management.

He recommended to quickly look for opportunities to develop energy storage projects, as well as to develop energy corridors so that surplus energy can be exported out of this country.

Tsachev pointed out that more than 1,700-1,800 MW of operating renewable energy plants have been connected to the distribution and transmission grid in the last 18 months alone. Currently, there are over 3,000 MW of solar power plants operating across the country. The question is how these capacities will be managed. Tsachev believes that in addition to thinking about the connection and construction of the grids, the parallel process of building maneuverable capacities should also be considered. 

"If we stand and wait, the losses for us will be huge," he pointed out. Therefore, energy storage projects need to be developed urgently, but not just battery projects. Tsachev recommended developing energy storage systems of industrial importance, such as pumped storage hydropower. 

Energy corridors need to be built so that energy can be traded, he said.