November 15, 2023: Bulgaria-based battery manufacturer Monbat says the country should urgently ramp up BESS building and commissioning using millions of euros already allocated to support Europe’s clean energy transition.
In a white paper published on November 9, Monbat calls for government backing to spur mass deployment of advanced lead and lithium battery storage systems in Bulgaria and other European nations.
The paper comes five months after Monbat revealed details of a new range of lead and lithium BESS units it intends to launch on the market for homes, micro- and small businesses.
In the document, Monbat says Bulgaria and other nations should consider the merits of all battery chemistries on a project-by-project basis and avoid the “common misconception” that lead acid batteries are not a progressive technology.
Now the company says Bulgaria, as a priority, should start by unlocking €13 million ($14 million) in loans and grants the country has already been cleared to issue for 2021 to 2027 under the NextGenerationEU post-pandemic economic stimulus package.
The paper says BESS development could also benefit from an additional €19 million cleared by the EU for Bulgaria to spend on economic recovery assistance over the same period.
The paper cites the near-100% recyclability of lead batteries and says preferred options for BESS include the new generation of virtually maintenance-free AGM and Gel batteries and bipolar lead.
On lithium BESS systems, the paper says “deficiencies” such as risks to critical infrastructure from thermal runaway and sensitivity to low-temperature environments should be taken into account when considering suitable projects for deployment.
The paper’s purpose “is not to propagate our own generation of and market for BESS, but to explain in a comprehensible manner the significance of the entire ESS-associated sector”, Monbat says.