VESS Modules has launched its Kardzhali factory in Bulgaria, using automated production lines
The plant created around 200 jobs and is designed to produce one module every 18 seconds
VESS Modules plans to increase the facility’s annual capacity to up to 3 GW
Vanadium Energy Storage System (VESS), backed by the Clever Synergy Investment Fund (CSIF), has launched a solar module manufacturing plant in Bulgaria, with 1 GW annual production capacity.
Built with an investment of €15 million, the factory was inaugurated by Krasimir Yakimov, the country’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Investments and Industry, who said the project may be expanded to 3 GW in the future.
The factory is located in the Bulgarian city of Kardzhali. The fully automated factory created 200 new jobs, the minister said. It is built by VESS Modules, the solar PV module and solar systems arm of VESS Group.
VESS Modules said the new TOPCon module plant in Bulgaria is designed to use automated production lines and systems to monitor and control individual stages of module manufacturing, with a focus on production efficiency and quality.
The automated lines are designed to roll out a solar panel every 18 seconds, according to the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA). Its modules carry quality certification from TÜV SÜD. VESS Modules targets production for markets in the European Union (EU) and beyond.
Yakimov said that the investment is part of efforts to increase high-tech manufacturing in the country and support European production of strategic technologies. It will also provide training opportunities for young workers in areas including electronics and robotics.
“Our task as a state is to create conditions for more investments that create jobs and high added value,” added Yakimov.
Previously, Smart Solar Technologies of Turkey announced plans for a solar cell and module factory in Bulgaria’s Stara Zagora municipality in August 2024 (see New Solar Cell & Module Production Factory Coming Up In Bulgaria). Recently, Smart Solar said that this project has been designated a Priority Investment Project and has received direct state aid of nearly BGN 62 million under Bulgaria’s Investment Promotion Act.
VESS is also constructing Bulgaria’s ‘first’ automated plant for vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB) stacks in the Zagore-Elenino Industrial Zone in Stara Zagora. The batteries produced here are intended for long-duration energy storage applications, including renewable energy projects, power grids, industrial facilities, and data centers.
VESS said the storage manufacturing project is part of a broader energy technology complex planned to produce vanadium batteries, solar PV modules, and metal structures, and will also house logistics infrastructure and recycling facilities. Construction officially began with a groundbreaking ceremony on July 16, 2026. It has roped in Japan’s NanoFrontier Inc., a spin-off from Tohoku University, for the project.
