First utility-scale solar power plant in BiH starts test production

The testing phase has started for the first large solar power plant in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The Petnjik facility in Grude has 45 MW in peak capacity.

Greenstat’s first solar power plant in Bosnia Herzegovina has reached an important milestone. The Norwegian company said the Petnjik photovoltaic system has transitioned from the construction phase to testing.

Over the last few years, there were numerous announcements from domestic and foreign companies on the construction of utility-scale solar power facilities, but this is the first one that was actually installed. In partnership with local firm GP Toming, Greenstat started the construction in May last year.

The PV plant is located in the municipality of Grude in Herzegovina, the southern part of BiH. The location is some twenty kilometers from the Adriatic Sea and fifty kilometers from Mostar.

The solar power plant now has all all of its solar panels installed together with inverters, electrical equipment and a connection to the substation and grid, Greenstat said.

Petnjik’s estimated output is 64 GWh per year

The construction has gone according to plan, the company said, which mostly credited GP Toming’s experience in building large solar power plants for the smooth process.

A test period will now be carried out before final approval from the authorities, which will be achieved when it is documented that the facility delivers according to the specifications.

Greenstat said it would earn its first income in September, during the test period, and estimated the annual output of the Petnjik Solar PV Plant at 64 GWh.

It is Greenstat’s first solar power project abroad as well. The company earlier revealed that it is considering to boost its investments in Southeastern Europe.

The ceremony marking the beginning of the testing phase was attended (photo above) by Stefan Almehagen Sandstad, Deputy Head of Mission at the Norwegian Embassy, Torstein Thorsen Ekern, Head of Business Development at Greenstat, Sanela Mujkanović, Norwegian Embassy’s Consular Officer, Ketil Strøm-Larsen, Business Development Senior Manager at Greenstat, Gudmund Sydness, head of Business Development for South East Europe at Greenstat, Anders Folkman, legal advisor from law firm Advokatfirma Folkman, Ahmed Lindov, manager at the Norwegian-Bosnian Chamber of Commerce, Bakir Sadović, Ambassador of BiH in Norway, and Ivan Tomas, GP Toming’s Managing Director and overall Project Manager of the Petnjik Solar PV Plant.