Subotica, Vranje to get solar power plants

The Bikovo solar power plant, with a peak capacity of over 50 MW, will be built in Subotica on the site of former nitrogen plant Azotara, according to a spatial plan in public review. Untermolo from Novi Sad has been identified as the investor in the project in Serbia’s northernmost city. The local authority in Vranje, in the country’s far south, announced a project for an 18 MW solar power plant.

The Assembly of the City of Subotica announced an early public review into the detailed regulation plan for the Bikovo solar power plant on its territory. Interested parties can send comments until January 19. The document was commissioned by Untermolo from Novi Sad.

Subotica has allocated 80 hectares for a solar plant project

The land is classified as undeveloped. It is located not far from the Subotica airport, in the area of the Bikovo settlement. More precisely, it is between the Novi Sad – Subotica railway, a local road and the Čiker river. The area occupies just under 80 hectares in total.

The plan is for an infrastructure complex for a solar power plant with a peak power capacity of over 50 MW including the connection to the transmission system. It is envisaged to be linked to the power grid via an existing transmission line that runs one kilometer west from the site.

Photovoltaic panels will be arranged in sections, with roads in between and the main substation. A system control building will be constructed in the regulated area, the plan says.

The authors of the document refer to the Energy Development Strategy of the Republic of Serbia until 2025, with projections until 2030. It says the total power of solar power plants in Serbia should reach 300 MW in 2025 and 350 MW in 2030.

The PV plant in Vranje will be a public-private partnership

The Assembly of the City of Vranje initiated the procedure for starting a public-private partnership for a solar power plant in the Bunuševac industrial zone. The facility is seen with a peak capacity of 18 MW. The local authority said it would provide the land to the potential investor. The lot is not suitable for other construction purposes, according to the update from the city parliament.

The project in the Bunuševac involves the use of energy-efficient technologies, the assembly said. The use of fossil fuels will be reduced and the use of renewable energy sources will be increased, Mayor Slobodan Milenković pointed out and added the City of Vranje would generate long-term revenues with concession fees.