A busy week in Bulgaria brought a green energy milestone, a tighter-than-expected presidential race, and one of the largest IPOs in global tech history. Here is what happened.
Bulgaria's energy storage crosses 6.2 GW
Bulgaria's installed battery storage capacity has surpassed 6.2 gigawatts, according to Capital. That figure puts the country among the more active energy-storage markets in Central and Eastern Europe, a region that has historically relied on baseload coal and nuclear power. The number matters for Bulgarians abroad because it signals that the country is building grid infrastructure aimed at long-term energy price stability.
Capital also reports that Bulgaria is in negotiations with Greece over acquiring a stake in the port of Kavala, a move flagged by the transport minister at an economic forum. Taken together, the two developments suggest the government is moving faster on energy and infrastructure than its political headlines might indicate.
Presidential race goes to a runoff
The first round of Bulgaria's presidential election produced a closer result than widely expected. Capital reports that incumbent vice-president Iliana Yotova, seen as the front-runner, finished first but with a narrow lead over challenger Andrey Gyurov, sending the race to a runoff on 1 November. Gyurov's strong showing was driven by solid support in Sofia, Plovdiv, and among Bulgarians voting abroad.
Ahead of the runoff, Capital confirms that both candidates agreed to face each other in a televised debate on 29 October at 9 p.m. on Bulgarian National Television. Representatives of both camps met at the broadcaster to confirm the format. It was the first direct confrontation between Yotova and Gyurov in the campaign.
