ContourGlobal, the operator of the Maritsa East 3 (ME3 TPP) coal-fired power plant in Bulgaria, has inaugurated a 202 MW/500 MWh stand-alone battery energy storage system (BESS) within the power plant complex in the Stara Zagora region (Contour Global press release, 8 January 2026). The project was funded by the European Union–NextGeneration EU through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).
The BESS is equipped with 110 battery skids supplied by BYD and 28 combined Power Conversion System (PCS) and Transformer units, converting direct current (DC) from the batteries into alternating current (AC) for the grid. It has already started participating in the day-ahead and intraday national electricity markets, contributing to optimised power dispatch, improving balancing of electricity supply and demand, and helping integrate renewable energy sources.
ContourGlobal is now developing a second 202 MW BESS on the same site, "as part of Phase II of a broader strategy to leverage on the thermal asset site to develop an integrated renewable energy hub."