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Croatian firm Sunčane Livade plans to build agrisolar plant Bilogora with a capacity of 252 MW, one of the largest projects in the region for producing electricity and growing food at the same location.
The Bilogora agrisolar facility is envisaged to be installed in the Bjelovar-Bilogora County, about one hundred kilometers from the capital Zagreb.
In response to a request by Sunčane Livade for a preliminary environmental assessment, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development ruled that a regular assessment study on the impact on the ecological network will be required, as well as an approval.
The possibility of significant negative impacts on the objectives of preservation and integrity of the ecological network area can’t be excluded, according to the decision.
In addition to solar panels, the Bilogora agrisolar project includes a substation and power transmission line.
The facility is planned within the ecological network of Croatia
The project is planned on an area that is part of an ecological network and it could endanger birds, the decision reads.
The power plant would cover almost 350 hectares, and the solar panels would be installed on 135 hectares.
The ecological network of Croatia covers 36.8% of the land and 9.3% of the sea under the national jurisdiction. It consists of 745 conservation areas important for species and habitat types and 38 conservation areas important for birds.
Two agrisolar plants are under construction in the region
Of note, the first study on the potential of agrisolar in Croatia demonstrated that if installed on only 1% of available agricultural land, or on 1,000 hectares, annual production could reach 1,000 GWh.
Agrisolar is gaining in popularity in the solar energy sector in the region.
In mid-2023, the construction of the first such power plant in Croatia began, with a capacity of 15 MW. A similar endeavor was launched in Serbia over a month ago.
A lot of projects are in the pipeline, too. The largest one was announced in Serbia – Agrosolar Kula, with a capacity of 660 MW, while there is also a 150 MW project in Montenegro, on the border with Serbia.
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