Photo: Enery/LinkedIn
Enery, based in Austria, inaugurated its largest solar power facility. The 113 MW unit is backed by power purchase agreements with KCM, Orange Romania and Dreher Breweries.
Spreading over more than 140 hectars, the new photovoltaic system in Tsenovo in northeast Bulgaria’s Svishtov region is the eighth-largest in the country, which is experiencing a solar power boom. It would have been the biggest less than two years ago, when the Karadzhalovo facility held the throne. Both are owned by Austria-based Enery.
The new plant has an impressive 113 MW in nameplate capacity, but with a fairly weaker grid connection, just 80 MW. It consists of just over 181,000 modules. Annual output is estimated at 177 GWh, equivalent to the electricity needs of more than 48,000 households in Bulgaria.
Most of the plots are agricultural land of the seventh category. The facility is located between the villages of Piperkovo, Dzhulyunitsa and Tsenovo.
Three corporate offtakers contributed to Tsenovo project
Enery Element, the company’s joint venture with Element Power RE, developed the project. Enery said its goal is to provide clean and affordable electricity to businesses through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).
One of the offtakers is lead and zinc producer KCM. The PV plant is expected to cover 10% of the annual consumption of Holding KCM 2000, currently at 400 GWh. Enery also signed virtual PPAs with Orange Romania Group and Dreher Breweries, part of Asahi Europe and International.
Battery backup under consideration
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has approved a guarantee for EUR 25 million out of the EUR 67 million loan, signed with UniCredit Bulbank. According to the Bulgarian media, the project is worth EUR 70 million. With the substation and additional infrastructure, the amount reaches EUR 85 million. The facility includes trackers, which turn the modules toward the sun.
In addition, Enery is considering the possibility of adding a battery energy storage system.
The company currently generates almost 700 GWh per year from 490 MW in green energy capacity. It has a project pipeline of more than 8 GW in 11 countries. In neighboring Romania, it owns two wind parks and several PV systems.
Thirty women in almost entirely local construction team
Sunotec was the turnkey service provided. The Bulgarian-German firm revealed that the construction team was almost entirely from nine surrounding villages. It included thirty women, through a project called Women of Tsenovo, according to Sunotec.
Enery commended its main investor – Three Seas Initiative Investment Fund (3SIIF) – and RP Global for their support for the project.
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