Kalmykia in Southern Russia is set to be the region in Russia to host a 116 MW solar power plant which the project promoters believe will be the 'largest' solar project in the country once it is commissioned.
Finland based energy company Fortum will build the project with a Russian sovereign wealth fund, Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) through a joint venture that already holds 350 MW wind power capacity in Ulyanovsk and Rostov regions.
In a brief statement issued, Fortum said the solar power plant is expected to enter construction under phase I with 78 MW scheduled to be commissioned in Q4/2021, to be followed by the remaining 38 MW in 2022 under phase II. The entire project will be commissioned by H2/2022.
The Finnish company had won 116 MW solar power capacity during 2018 and 2019 auctions in Russia (see Fortum Picks Hevel Solar For Russian PV Projects).
Currently, Fortum holds a portfolio of 2 GW of wind and solar power capacity in Russia comprising 670 MW operational capacity, together with its joint ventures.
Fortum's solar power portfolio in Russia includes 3 solar projects it acquired from Hevel Group in November 2017 representing 35 MW capacity to which the latter continues to provide operation and maintenance (O&M) services (see Fortum Acquires 35 MW PV In Russia).
Of late, Russian state agencies are showing interest in incorporating solar into the country's ecosystem with Rusnano purchasing CIGS solar cell production equipment from Sweden's Midsummer in February 2021 (see Midsummer Delivers DUO Machine To Russia). In August 2020, Hevel Group commissioned a 52.5 kW floating solar power plant for RusHydro (see 'First' Floating Solar Plant Online In Russia).
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