On September 19, the construction of Bulgaria’s first hybrid project for renewable energy began, which includes capacities of 238 MW of solar power, 250 MW of wind turbines and batteries that store up to 500 MWh of energy.
The solar part, which will be built on the old military airport next to the Yambol village of Tenevo, is positioned as one of the largest clean energy initiatives in Bulgaria and aims to be fully operational in 2025. The plant will be able to fully ensure the annual consumption of about 100,000 households with clean energy or more than all living in Yambol and surrounding settlements.

In the first stage, which includes the construction of the photovoltaic plant, its substation and the connection to the grid, nearly BGN 300 million will be invested.

In parallel, the next phase of the project is being developed, which should connect more than 250 MW of wind turbines and, as the last step, an installation for electricity storage (batteries) with a capacity of 250 MW/500 MWh. Such a hybrid approach is key, as solar panels harness the sun’s potential during the day, while wind power traditionally operates at night and, in combination with batteries, provides continuous energy production.

Elena Markova, executive director of EURA Energy, shared during the groundbreaking ceremony: “We are glad to have launched this large-scale RES project in Bulgaria. It will be the first hybrid generating power of this type in the country and one of the largest and complex clean energy projects in the Balkan region. It practically proves that renewable energy has a leading role in the energy transformation of coal regions and will give a strong impetus to the green transition in Bulgaria.”

The permit for the construction of the solar power plant itself was issued at the end of August by the municipality of Tunja, and Solarpro Holding – a multi-technological leader in the construction and operation of large-scale projects for the production of energy from RES with many years of experience in the photovoltaic sector in Europe – was selected as the contractor for the project.