Supporting the green energy transition in CEE: Schoenherr assists the Bulgarian Ministry of Energy in the implementation of support schemes for the development of renewable energy and battery electricity storage projects (BESS)

1. RES & Storage: Schoenherr provided support on the implementation of renewable energy and storage auctions under the General Block Exemption Regulation ("GBER") and the drafting of the tender documentation.
   
   RES & Storage aims to contribute to Bulgaria's goal to increase the share of clean energy in its energy mix by supporting investments in new renewable electricity generation co-located with electricity storage facilities. For the first time in Bulgaria, renewable energy and storage auctions were conducted, marking this project as a trailblazing initiative in the transition to clean energy. The auction was highly successful and attracted significant interest with nearly 400 applications. More than 200 projects are expected to be financed with a total value of approx. EUR 269m.
   
   
2. RESTORE: Schoenherr provided support in obtaining state aid clearance from the European Commission under the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework ("TCTF") for the implementation of auctions for standalone storage projects.
   
   RESTORE aims to support the installation and commissioning of at least 3,000 MWh of new grid-scale electricity storage capacity by March 2026. The total estimated investment aid budget is approx. EUR 590m. The new storage infrastructure is expected to significantly increase the share of energy from renewable sources in the energy mix and guarantee the security and stability of the Bulgarian electricity system. The state aid was approved by the European Commission on 28 November 2024 (the full decision is available at the following link).

The Schoenherr Team was led by Bernd Rajal (partner) and Stefana Tsekova (partner) and included Marta Katarzyna Krzystek (attorney at law) and Dimitar Kairakov (attorney at law).