Bulgaria’s Ministry of Energy has launched a public consultation on the second phase of its subsidy initiative for standalone renewable energy storage, targeting a cumulative capacity of 1.9 GWh.
The new tender, part of the National Infrastructure for Storage of Electricity from Renewable Sources (RESTORE) program, follows the conclusion of the first round in April. That round awarded support to 82 standalone storage projects, representing investments of more than BGN 1.15 billion (US$675 million). The selected projects will deliver a combined 9,712.89 MWh of usable storage capacity—over three times the original 3 GWh target.
Under the RESTORE 2 program, the ministry is seeking to support energy storage facilities of at least 10 MW nominal AC power with a minimum of two hours of usable storage capacity, applicable across both transmission and distribution grids.
Key program details include:
·Eligibility: Micro, small, medium, and large companies.
·Grant coverage: Up to 50% of eligible costs, capped at BGN 156,466 (US$86,056) per 1 MWh of usable storage capacity.
·Capacity limits: A single applicant may request support for up to 317 MWh, or one-sixth of the total quota.
·Guarantees: Applicants must provide a 3% participation bank guarantee (valid for nine months) and, if awarded funding, a 10% performance guarantee of the approved grant.
·Capital requirements: Minimum equity of BGN 6 million for projects of 20–50 MWh, or BGN 10 million for projects above 50 MWh.
To qualify, facilities must represent new usable energy storage capacity. This means that construction or binding equipment orders cannot have begun before June 25, 2024, and projects must not be commissioned by that date. Land purchases, permits, or feasibility studies do not count as construction.
Applicants must also present a grid connection agreement, building permit, signed supply contract (or binding equipment order), and secured financing at the time of submission. All projects must be completed and commissioned by July 31, 2026.
The draft guidelines for RESTORE 2 are available for public feedback until September 15, 2025. Grant applications are expected to open on September 18, 2025.
