Slovenia’s HSE targets 800 MW of solar power by 2030

Slovenian state-owned Holding Slovenske elektrarne has small solar power plants with an overall capacity of under 10 MW, but it is aiming at 800 MW more by the end of the decade. The utility is also developing the documentation for floating photovoltaics.

HSE says it is the driver of Slovenia’s green transition to a carbon-free society as the biggest producer of electricity from renewable sources in the country. The government-controlled group went further to point to solar power as a priority in its strategy.

Most photovoltaic units were built using only internal expertise

There are only eight solar power plants in its portfolio: Dravograd, OCV2, Zlatoličje, Gimnazija Velenje, Formin, Hubelj, Prapretno and Brežice. HSE noted it has a 49% stake in the last one. The facilities, with a combined capacity of almost 10 MW, generated 5.7 GWh last year. It is equivalent to 529,000 liters of diesel fuel, the firm added in a statement.

The utility highlighted solar power as a priority in its strategy

The said amount of energy could power an electric car for 25.7 million kilometers or meet the needs of 1,350 Slovenian households, according to HSE. The company attributed the construction of most of its solar power plants entirely to internal expertise. HSE is also the operator of the country’s only remaining coal power plant.

“We want to build 800 MW of new photovoltaic power plants by 2030, and we are also continuing with the preparation of the documentation for the construction of floating solar power plants,” Managing Director Tomaž Štokelj stated.

Representatives of HSE visit Portugal

Minister of Environment, Climate and Energy Bojan Kumer and a delegation including the representatives of HSE rounded up a visit today to Portugal, where they explored the applications of renewable energy technology including green hydrogen and floating photovoltaics.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, Slovenia had 1.88 GW in total green power capacity at the end of last year, of which solar power accounted for 632 MW.