Bulgaria is going down the wrong path in the development of energy storage systems – large capacities are being set up based on subjective possibilities for connection, and not on the basis of real grid needs. This was stated by Dr. Eng. Dimitar Beleliev, Chairman of the Bulgarian Association of Electrical Engineering and Electronics (BASEL), at the Energy of Tomorrow forum, held today in Sofia.
„We work on the principle of having them where it can, not where it needs to be“, Beleliev is categorical. According to him, the problem is not whether batteries will be built, but whether they will be built where they are needed for the system.
There are three main weaknesses in the country's energy system. The transmission grid is lagging behind – the operator ESO cannot keep up with the pace of investors, and the bureaucratic obstacles are heavy and subjective, which creates uncertainty. There is also a lack of a clear plan of action – solar power plants and batteries are being built in all sorts of places without strategic logic. Thirdly, there are no incentives for the so-called prosumers – small producer-consumers, where balancing should be moved closer to real consumption, which would save huge losses.
“With batteries, we risk repeating the mistake of RES – many projects, but not where they bring the greatest value“, warned Beleliev. The solution is a higher-level battery strategy that would define investment zones according to the needs of the network, combined with a functioning administration and incentives aimed at the right places.
Beleliev also raised the issue of cybersecurity – Batteries scattered throughout the country pose a serious risk in the absence of control. “Currently, everyone installs whatever they want, it is not known who controls and how the battery itself is managed“ he said. Standards and services exist, but real security measures have not yet been introduced in our country.
Regarding trends in the sector, forecasts are that large-scale battery projects will end with the exhaustion of subsidies, while the segments of small and medium-sized enterprises and households will continue to develop. The crises experienced - the pandemic and the war in Ukraine - have increased the demand for energy security, which makes batteries a good investment for businesses and citizens. “I am moderately pessimistic about what awaits us in Bulgaria - because we are lagging behind with real solutions”, concluded the BASEL chairman.