PV plant Maglizh of 160 MW in Bulgaria to enter test phase

The Maglizh photovoltaic facility of 160 MW in peak capacity is due to begin production early next year. Project manager Angel Vassilev said the investors voluntarily launched a conservation program for the protected European ground squirrel and other biodiversity measures at the location.

Bulgaria has been stuck for more than a decade in the wind power segment, but it has made giant leaps with photovoltaics over the past few years. One of the biggest solar power plants is nearing its inauguration after overcoming complex issues from permitting to environmental protection, according to the project manager, Angel Vassilev. The Maglizh facility of 160 MW in peak capacity is in the central part of the country.

The location spans 127 hectares at the foot of Mt. Stara planina, in the municipality of Maglizh. The project firm is called Belozem Solar Park 2.

It is a joint venture between 360 Energy and the majority shareholders of Eurohold (Evrohold). Vassilev told Divident.eu that the plan is to conduct a 72-hour equipment test in January and begin the commissioning procedure.

More than EUR 10 million invested in grid infrastructure

Maglizh cost EUR 100 million to build. The investors financed it with own funds and a syndicated loan from Bulgarian and Austrian banks.

The main contractor is Bulgarian-German company Sunotec, under a turnkey deal. It also manufactured the metal structures for the solar panels. Green Solar Energy was responsible for two overhead power lines and the reconstruction of another one and a substation.

The grid segment investment amounted to more than EUR 10 million, according to Vassilev. The connection facilities will belong to Electricity System Operator (ESO), the Bulgarian transmission system operator.

The PV plant is on municipal land, on grade 9 and 10 land, the lowest levels. The project firm obtained the rights for 30 years and paid a one-off fee.

In Vassilev’s view, the concerns that photovoltaics would take up too much fertile land in Bulgaria, harming nature and agriculture, are unjustified. He said only 0.05% is under solar power plants, and on locations with grades 7 to 10, while that more than 80,000 hectares lie fallow.

Safeguards for protected European ground squirrel

After already passing environmental procedures, the investors detected a habitat of the protected European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus), also called European souslik.

They introduced special measures including the exemption of an area of more than five hectares. An environmentalist organization is moving the ground squirrels from some spots where the population is not so big, the article adds.

The fences at the Maglizh solar power plant are designed to allow various mammals and reptiles to go through. Bees will be bred within the photovoltaic park for pollination.

The owners plan to add batteries within the next 18 months, according to the report.

The same partnership has last year commissioned Verila, Bulgaria’s biggest solar power plant at the time. The project firm is called Belozem Solar Park 3.