The “National Energy Operator” EAD (NEO) is a public enterprise under the structure of the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Bulgaria. The sole owner of the capital of the company is “Bulgarian Energy Holding” EAD (BEH). BEH EAD is the largest Bulgarian vertically integrated company, uniting all state energy companies that operate in the field of electricity production and transmission, including from nuclear and thermal power plants, transmission, transit and storage of natural gas and mining of lignite. BEH Group occupies a leading position in the electricity and natural gas market in Bulgaria and in the region.
One of the main activities of “NEO” EAD is the implementation of various aspects of the “Green Deal”, including supporting the significant increase in the share of Renewable Energy Sources (RES) in the energy mix.
In view of the significant volume of RES capacity connected to the grid, as well as those in the process of being connected, given their intermittent production profile dependent on climatic factors (peaks or lack of sunlight, wind, etc.), the construction of electrical energy storage facilities is of particular importance for the power system. The purpose of NEO EAD is, through the construction and operation of energy storage systems based on various technologies, to balance the non-constant production and consumption of green energy, while simultaneously reducing the costs of the system at peak consumption/production. The primary task of the company is to promote, through market mechanisms, the full integration of RES capacities in the energy mix and the provision of flexible capacities, balancing fluctuations in demand and supply. The business concept of NEO EAD envisages the construction of technologically diversified energy storage systems, providing storage capacity, additional services to the operator of the electricity transmission network, and also foresees trading on a market basis with the stored electrical energy, including cooperating with producers and/or consumers.