Steag JV switches on 66-MWp solar park in Bulgaria, plans more

A joint venture between Germany-based STEAG Solar Energy Solutions GmbH (SENS) and its Viennese partner LSG has connected a 66-MWp solar farm to the power grid in Bulgaria and prepares to begin the construction of another 50-MWp solar project in the Balkan country.

The plant was built by SENS LSG GmbH in the municipality of Dalgo Pole, located about 120 kilometres southeast of the Bulgarian capital Sofia and features more than 122,300 solar panels installed on trackers to adjust their orientation to the position of the sun, Steag said in a press release.

The photovoltaic (PV) park is capable of producing about 100,000 MWh of clean power annually which will help avoid about 47,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions per year. The new generation capacity will also contribute to the energy transition in Bulgaria which still relies on fossil fuels to a large extent but aims to raise the share of renewables to 25% of the power mix by the end of this decade.

Steag noted that the solar park was set up within several months with construction works only starting in March.

Following the completion of the project in Dalgo Pole, SENS LSG is planning to break the ground in November on another solar project in Bulgaria with a capacity of 50 MWp.

“We recognised the potential of south-eastern Europe early on,” said LSG Group's managing director Karl Goeth.

“But up to now, there has often been a lack of political will to expand solar energy. Thanks to the EU’s binding climate target, we can now take advantage of Bulgaria’s climatic and ecological potential and tackle the construction of large solar farms," Goeth added.

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