Europe Solar PV News Snippets

Voltalia completes construction of the largest solar power plant in Western Balkans; Enviromena raises refinancing from AIP; PKN Orlen's Energa Wytwarzanie is interested in a hybrid power plant; Regional governor in Bulgaria rejects PV plant on farmland. 

140 MW Albania PV project complete: France's Voltalia has announced the completion of the 140 MW Karavasta Solar Power Plant in Albania. It is now ready to generate power, stated the company. Touted as the largest solar power plant in Albania and the largest PV facility in the Western Balkans, the project in the Fier district has been under construction since mid-2022. Voltalia won the project in May 2020 in a state tender for the lowest winning bid of €24.89/MWh. Backed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), it is contracted to sell 50% of electricity generated to the public operator and sell the remaining under long-term bilateral contracts (see Ground Breaks On 140 MW Albania PV Project). 

£65 million refinancing deal in the UK: UK-based Environmena has raised £65 million refinancing to grow its UK solar energy portfolio to over 500 MW by 2025. The financier Arjun Infrastructure Partners (AIP) has also agreed to a debt and construction facility for the company. Beyond the 500 MW target, the financing will also enable the company to grow its self-developed ground mounted solar pipeline to over 2 GW by 2025. Currently, it comprises more than 400 MW of projects to be submitted for planning soon. The refinancing brings to AIP 2 seats on Environmena's board. 

334 MW hybrid capacity changes hands: Part of the Polish oil refining group PKN Orlen, Energa Wytwarzanie is to acquire the 334 MW under construction Kleczew Hybrid Wind and Solar Power Project in Poland. According to local media reports, Energa has signed an initial agreement to acquire the project located in the Greater Poland Voivodeship from Lewandpol Holding. Under phase I, it is planned to have 193.1 MW solar PV and 19.2 MW wind energy capacity. The solar energy capacity is to be expanded by up to 122 MW under the next 2 phases. In the future, the wind capacity can also be expanded along with adding an energy storage facility.  

Burgas cancels PV project on farmland: The Governor of Burgas in Bulgaria, Plamen Yanev, has stopped an agrivoltaic project in its tracks after residents of the 4 villages of Dyulevo, Orlintsi, Suhodol and Svetlina complained against it. According to the residents, the project on 828 hectares of agricultural land changes the use of arable fields and pastures, as per the Bulgarian News Agency BTA. The complainants believe the ground mounted PV park will interfere with local agriculture, livestock breeding, beekeeping and hunting tourism, thereby leading to the economic and demographic collapse of the region.