Hithium & Solarpro to partner on 55MWh Bulgarian battery

Stationary battery manufacturer Hithium and solar project engineering procurement and construction (EPC) provider Solarpro have announced a strategic partnership, with their first project - a 55MWh energy storage facility - to come in Bulgaria. 

Hithium has agreed to supply the battery products for the project in the southwest Bulgarian town of Razlog, with Solarpro providing turnkey EPC services. Hithium will supply 16 energy storage containers with a 3,44 MWh capacity, based on the company’s 280 Ah cells, which have an “extra-long” expected lifespan, a statement said. 

The new plant will support a photovoltaic installation, with construction of the new facility planned for the start of 2024. The BESS owner will be a subsidiary of the Vienna-based Renalfa IPP.

“As the region’s utility-scale solar production ramps up, energy storage is gaining importance since it enables us to deliver solar-generated energy more reliably,” explained Solarpro CEO, Krasen Mateev. “We are very pleased to take this step with Hithium to accelerate the growth of energy storage in eastern Europe. We have been working on preparation, engineering and development on the joint solution over the past months for this landmark project. We are dedicated to lead the energy transition adding new technologies in our product portfolio.”

Ning (Kelson) Li, Hithium director large-scale BESS project for central, northern, and eastern Europe, said: “We’re proud to collaborate with Solarpro, such an experienced European partner in the sector of renewable energy and battery energy storage system, to start with the ground-breaking for Razlog BESS plant. This project represents our entry into eastern Europe and perfectly reflects the contribution we want to make to the region, scaling up energy storage to stabilise the supply of clean energy.”