Two decades on the ground
We were part of the team behind one of Bulgaria's earliest onshore wind farms in 2003 and have since contributed to the development, ownership, or operation of multiple solar and renewable projects across the country.
About
Ventura Energy Partners, Central Europe is a partnership between an experienced Bulgarian renewables developer and a U.S. partner with deep expertise in renewable energy development, battery storage, project finance, and asset operations.
Our team has been active in Bulgaria's renewable energy sector since 2003. Across the partnership we bring decades of combined experience in project development, engineering, capital structuring, and long-term asset management — at home in Bulgaria and across the United States.
We focus on assets that deliver real value to the regional grid: lowering electricity costs, balancing supply and demand, and supporting the continued build-out of solar and wind across South-Eastern Europe.
Flagship Project
An operational, utility-scale battery storage system in Bulgaria. Jupiter is one of the first four-hour batteries to come online anywhere in the country, balancing the regional grid and supporting the next wave of renewables.
Jupiter charges when wholesale power is cheap — typically during the middle of the day, when Bulgaria's growing solar fleet is generating — and discharges into the evening peak. The project also provides fast-response balancing services (aFRR, mFRR, FCR) to the Bulgarian transmission system operator, helping keep the grid stable as the renewable share of generation rises.
Day-to-day operations and trading are managed by KER Toki Power, an established Bulgarian aggregator that manages multiple BESS assets across South-Eastern Europe. The structure provides a guaranteed annual revenue floor with upside sharing once the floor is met.
The project was developed with our local partner Rodopi Grid Storage, built by SolarPro and PEM, and supported by the European Union through Bulgaria's RESTORE programme as part of the National Recovery & Resilience Plan.
Approach
Our team has developed and managed renewable energy projects in Bulgaria since 2003 — across wind, solar, cogeneration, and battery storage — and continues to expand a pipeline of opportunities in the region.
We were part of the team behind one of Bulgaria's earliest onshore wind farms in 2003 and have since contributed to the development, ownership, or operation of multiple solar and renewable projects across the country.
Across the partnership and our affiliates, members of the team have worked on more than 100 battery storage sites in Europe and the United States, ranging from small commercial installations to utility-scale projects.
We build with established Bulgarian and international counterparties — including SolarPro, PEM, Hithium, Fichtner, and RGreen Invest — to deliver projects that meet international financing and engineering standards.
Beyond Project Jupiter, we are advancing a pipeline of additional storage and renewable opportunities, structured to support Bulgaria's transition away from coal and toward a flexible, renewables-led grid.
Portfolio & Track Record
Selected Bulgarian projects developed, owned, or operated by VEPCE team members across various corporate vehicles since 2003. Projects are referenced by code name.
| Project | Country | Technology | Size | Stage | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jupiter | Bulgaria | Battery storage | 80 MW / 320 MWh | Operational | 2026 |
| Titan | Bulgaria | Solar PV | 15 MW | Development | 2024 |
| Ceres | Bulgaria | Solar PV | 6 MW | Operational | 2024 |
| Pluto | Bulgaria | Solar PV | 5 MW | Operational | 2023 |
| Neptune | Bulgaria | Solar PV | 2.9 MW | Operational | 2023 |
| Vesta | Bulgaria | Solar PV | 2.1 MW | Operational | 2023 |
| Saturn | Bulgaria | RDF cogeneration | 6.3 MW | Operational | 2013 |
| Mars | Bulgaria | Solar PV | 2.5 MW | Operational | 2011 |
| Venus | Bulgaria | Wind | 2 MW | Operational | 2011 |
| Mercury | Bulgaria | Wind | 1.3 MW | Operational | 2003 |
Projects represent assets developed, owned, or operated by VEPCE team members across various corporate vehicles. Beyond the Bulgarian portfolio, team members and U.S. affiliates have additional renewable, hydroelectric, and battery storage experience in the United States.
Team
VEPCE's team brings together project developers, engineers, and capital markets professionals with combined experience of decades across renewable energy in Europe and the U.S.
Partner
Smolyan, Bulgaria
15+ years developing renewable projects in Bulgaria across solar, RDF cogeneration, wind, and battery storage. Previously Managing Director at Capman Energy, Bulgaria's leading green energy fund.
Partner
Sofia, Bulgaria
10+ years across finance and strategy, including infrastructure project financing at the European Commission in partnership with EBRD, EIB, and the IMF.
Partner
Santa Barbara, CA
Developer, owner, and operator of battery storage projects in the United States. Years of experience on more than 2 GW of renewable energy projects, including 100+ BESS sites.
Partner
Austin, TX
Decades of management experience at international financial companies. Co-founder and board member of TerraVerde Energy. Career involvement in financing renewable energy at scale.
Partner
New York, NY
International operating experience across Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Development and project finance for solar and battery projects.
Head of Energy Trading & Asset Management
San Francisco, CA
Energy market experience covering project finance for solar, battery, and hydroelectric transactions in the United States.
News & Press
The 80 MW / 320 MWh energy storage facility completes its first month of operations.
14.05.2026, Smolyan, Bulgaria — Smolyan VE announced that it had completed its first month of operations for its new 80 MW / 320 MWh energy storage facility located in Smolyan, Bulgaria. The project, one of the first utility-scale four-hour battery projects operating in Bulgaria, is expected to help stabilize the grid and enable the renewable energy transition in Bulgaria by creating capacity to balance the availability of electricity throughout the day.
Smolyan VE is a joint venture between Rodopi Grid Services, a large Bulgarian electrical services company, and affiliates of Ventura Energy Partners CE, a Bulgarian-American joint venture focused on energy development in Bulgaria. Solarpro built the project on behalf of the joint venture, and affiliates of Solarpro — one of the largest EPC contractors in South-Eastern Europe — will manage the project on behalf of the joint venture.
"We are proud to have completed this project in our hometown in partnership with Rodopi Grid, another local business. Solarpro did an outstanding job constructing the project on a tight timeline and we appreciate the support of the Bulgarian Energy Ministry and the European Union through the RESTORE program."— Manol Boyadzhiev, Country Manager and Partner, Ventura Energy Partners CE
"This project will help balance the grid in the region in a way that will spread the benefits of cheaper daytime power through the evening hours. Our American partners were instrumental in helping bring this project to fruition and we are grateful to RGreen Invest for bringing the necessary financing to the table."— Vassilena Tcholakova, Partner, Ventura Energy Partners CE
"We were glad to be a part of the team that built this project and look forward to a long commitment to the project as the long-term asset manager. Our energy trading arm, Toki, will also ensure that the energy is used in an optimal way to balance the grid."— Konstantin Nenov, CEO, Solarpro
On 28 March 2026 the project achieved commercial operation and submitted its first trading schedule into the Bulgarian electricity markets, ahead of the RESTORE subsidy deadline.
VEPCE closed senior construction financing with RGreen Invest's Infrabridge IV fund and issued Notice to Proceed under the EPC contract with SolarPro. Sixty-four Hithium battery containers were subsequently installed on site.
Contact
For investment, partnership, or media enquiries, please reach out directly to one of our partners.