As Europe grapples with high electricity prices amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine, solar PV is set to bring in some relief with Greece becoming home to what German PV developer and EPC company juwi calls the largest bifacial solar plant in Europe, with 204 MW capacity.
Equipped with more than 500,000 bifacial solar modules from China's JinkoSolar, the Kozani Solar Project has come up outside of Kozani which is the capital of Western Macedonia region. The entire capacity is distributed across 18 project sites, which altogether will generate 320 million kWh annually, enough to cater to more than 75,000 Greek households.
The German company sees this grid connected solar power plant as bringing down the country's fossil-fuel dependence, electricity costs and GHG emissions. Project was inaugurated by the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
"Project Kozani is the highest achievement in the Greek renewable space and the lighthouse which signals the beginning of the De-lignitisation era in Western Macedonia," said juwi Hellas' Managing Director Takis Sarris who also counts the company's Greek pipeline as 600 MW.
Hellenic Petroleum Group of Companies (Helpe), a Greek energy supplier, has taken over the plant from juwi, but the latter will continue to offer operation and maintenance (O&M) services.