Support payments rise 9% on 4% increase of output

At the end of September the feed-in system included 3,915 power plants with a combined installed capacity of 428 MW, Slovenian power market operator Borzen said. The trend of rising support payments continues in the first nine months of this year, according to the company’s report. Total electricity production within the support system increased by 4%.

Payments excluding value-added tax increased 9%, from EUR 101.47 million to EUR 111.75 million from the corresponding period of last year. Power generation in the category rose from 685.26 GWh to 712.14 GWh, and the average support climbed from 14.8 to 15.6 euro cents, respectively, the document said.

Photovoltaic systems held a share of 52.51% of support payments on 32.24% of electricity production, and fossil fuel high-efficiency cogeneration (CHP) facilities got 19.57% of funds on a share of 29.92% in power generation. The ratio for biogas and wood biomass was just under one on support payments share of 11.43% and 10.71%, respectively, but hydropower plants got only 4.89% of the proceeds on 12.68% of total electricity.

The support system had 210 power generating facilities more year on year. This includes both new plants and those with a change in ownership or support type versus operational support. There were 141 new entrants, out of which 100 are fossil fuel CHP systems, and 16 are solar power facilities with an overall capacity of 741 kW.

The bulk of the EUR 130.88 million of subsidies for the whole of 2014 went to photovoltaic plants – EUR 62.6 million, followed by fossil fuel plants – EUR 27.7 million. Biogas and wood biomass segments received subsidies of EUR 15.8 million and EUR 14 million, respectively. Subsidies have risen 10% year on year, on a 13% increase in power generation.

Borzen implements public service obligation in the electricity market including basic organization and the activities of the Centre for Renewable Energy Sources and High-Efficiency Cogeneration (RES/CHP).