Energy Storage – The Key to the Large-Scale Uptake of Renewable Energy Sources
Centre of Competence HITMOBIL Actively Participates in an International Meeting under the European EAGER Project
The Centre of Competence HITMOBIL, with IEES-BAS as its lead organisation, participated in a two-day partner meeting under the international EAGER project (“Easing AGrophotovoltaics for EuRope”), held on 16 and 17 September 2026. Hosted by the Regional Energy Agency – Pazardzhik, the event brought together representatives of local and regional authorities, research organisations, businesses and experts from nine European countries to exchange good practices and promote sustainable energy solutions through the development and deployment of agrivoltaic systems.
On 16 September in Pazardzhik, Assoc. Prof. Blagoy Burdin, an expert at the Centre of Competence HITMOBIL and a researcher at IEES-BAS, delivered a lecture entitled “Energy Storage as a Key Element in Harnessing Solar Energy”. He presented an analysis of the challenges facing the global energy transition and the electrification of transport and industry. Emphasis was placed on the need for large-scale energy storage systems on the order of terawatt-hours (TWh) to help balance the growing share of renewable energy sources, including through agrivoltaic solutions that combine energy production with the preservation of the land’s primary agricultural functions.
The following day, participants visited the Centre of Competence HITMOBIL’s “Integrated Energy Systems” Field Laboratory in Sofia, where they explored the capabilities of its unique pilot infrastructure, combining a photovoltaic park, a wind turbine emulator, battery energy storage systems, an electrolyser for hydrogen production and Bulgaria’s first hydrogen refuelling station.
Discussions addressed the challenges facing the next generation of large-scale energy storage systems needed for the further integration of renewable energy sources, including through hydrogen and synthetic fuels. Particular attention was given to the infrastructure capacity of the Centre of Competence HITMOBIL as a test site and a partner for joint research.
The participation of the Centre of Competence HITMOBIL in such international initiatives contributes to expanding the Centre’s partner network and promoting Bulgarian scientific developments in hydrogen and energy technologies.