📋 Tender Overview
Subscribe to our Free Email Newsletter Now
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) says it has completed major renewable-energy and battery storage policy work in Bulgaria under the countrys Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), and is now stepping up support for further investment. The announcement follows milestones reviewed during a visit by Mark Bowman, EBRD Vice President for Policy and Partnerships, and comes alongside a memorandum of understanding signed with the Bulgarian government to prepare public-private partnership (PPP) and concession projects.
According to the EBRD, work with Bulgarias Ministry of Energy since 2023 included the design of grant schemes, competitive auctions and technical verification of completed projects under the RRP. The bank says nearly EUR1 billion of RRP funds helped mobilise several times that amount in private investment, supporting the deployment of 3 GW of solar photovoltaic capacity and 15 GWh of battery energy storage.
Background: RRP reforms and Bulgarias power sector transition
Bulgarias Recovery and Resilience Plan is designed to support reforms and investment as part of its wider economic and infrastructure modernization. In the energy sector, the challenge has been how to scale variable renewable generation, such as solar, while maintaining grid stability as the share of fossil-fuel power declines.
EBRD describes battery energy storage as central to grid resilience and to reducing operational constraints on renewable generation. It also links storage to broader goals of decarbonising the power sector, improving energy security and helping reduce energy prices.
Completed renewables and storage milestones under the RRP
The EBRD says its milestone work under the RRP included policy and implementation support with the Ministry of Energy, spanning programme design, auction structures and verification of completed projects. The bank reports that the resulting schemes have transformed Bulgarias renewable-energy market, accelerating deployment of utility-scale battery storage.
In the EBRDs account, the scale of storage deployment relative to Bulgarias size has positioned the country as a European leader in energy storage. During Bowmans visit, the EBRD said discussions continued with government representatives and clients about additional battery storage projects.
New memorandum with Bulgaria on PPP preparation for infrastructure
In addition to the energy milestones, the EBRD and the Bulgarian government signed a memorandum of understanding to lay foundations for the Bulgarian Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Preparation Facility. The initiative is intended to support the preparation and implementation of PPPs and concessions, including efforts to mobilise private capital.
The EBRD says early areas of cooperation for the PPP preparation facility will include transport and connectivity, energy, irrigation infrastructure and industrial zones. This would extend the focus from power-system investments into other critical infrastructure areas that require significant modernization and financing.
What the EBRD says about the approach
EBRD frames the energy results as an example of how reforms and implementation support can translate into private-sector investment. In comments attributed to Mark Bowman, the EBRD says the completion of the RRP energy milestones shows what can be achieved when ambitious reforms are matched by strong execution, and that new cooperation on public-private partnerships should convert momentum into further investment.
Scale of the EBRDs portfolio in Bulgaria
The EBRD describes itself as a leading institutional investor in Bulgaria, having invested almost EUR5.3 billion in the country through 330 projects. It says its work includes a focus on private sector development, competitiveness and the green economy transition.
Key Details
Initiative or programme: Completion of renewable-energy and battery storage policy work under Bulgarias Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP) and creation of a PPP Preparation Facility framework via a memorandum of understanding
Lead organization: European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD)
Partners: Bulgarias Ministry of Energy; Government of Bulgaria (memorandum of understanding for PPP preparation)
Funding amount: Nearly EUR1 billion of RRP funds (mobilised several times in private investment, as reported by EBRD); the EBRD does not specify the private-investment total figure in the provided extract
Geographic focus: Bulgaria
Target groups: Not specified in the provided extract (energy-market stakeholders and infrastructure planning entities are implied)
Duration or timeline: EBRD work with the Ministry of Energy began in 2023; RRP energy milestones were completed as part of the initiative described on 02 Oct 2026
Expected reach or outcomes: Deployment of 3 GW solar photovoltaic capacity and 15 GWh battery energy storage; strengthened grid resilience and increased ability to integrate renewable energy; support for preparation and implementation of PPPs and concessions in transport, energy, irrigation and industrial zones (initial areas identified by EBRD)
Why This Matters
Bulgarias experience shows how combining policy reform, competitive allocation mechanisms and technical verification under an RRP can help mobilise private capital into renewables and grid-enabling storage. For NGOs, civil society organizations and development practitioners, it highlights practical pathways for implementation support beyond financing--particularly the role of institutional capacity and market design in accelerating energy transitions.
The memorandum on PPP preparation is also relevant for organizations working on infrastructure governance, procurement oversight, and due diligence in complex investment pipelines. It suggests a continuing emphasis across donors and governments on using PPP and concession structures to mobilise private finance for modernization in
