The Bulgarian Ministry of Energy has launched a public consultation on a new subsidy scheme to support the construction of independent renewable energy storage facilities with a total capacity of 1.9 GWh. This initiative, part of the second round of the national Renewable Energy Storage Infrastructure (RESTORE) program, follows the first round which concluded in April 2025. The initial phase selected 82 independent projects with a total investment exceeding 1.15 billion leva (approximately $675 million), delivering 9,712.89 MWh of available storage capacity—far surpassing the original 3 GWh target.
The RESTORE 2 program aims to support the deployment of energy storage systems on transmission and distribution grids with a minimum rated AC power of 10 MW and at least 2 hours of available storage capacity. It is open to enterprises of all sizes. Grants will cover up to 50% of eligible costs, with a cap of 156,466 leva (excluding VAT) per MWh. A single entity may apply for support of up to 317 MWh.
Applicants are required to provide a 3% bank participation guarantee valid for 9 months and demonstrate sufficient own capital: 6 million leva for projects between 20–50 MWh, and 10 million leva for projects exceeding 50 MWh. Upon approval, a 10% performance guarantee must be submitted. Eligibility criteria stipulate that storage facilities must not have commenced operation earlier than the proposal submission date or have been initiated on or after June 25, 2024, without being operational. Applicants must also possess a grid connection agreement, construction permit, supply contract or binding order, and secured financing at the time of application.
