The construction of the project, called “St. George”, is due to start before the end of 2023 and the plant is expected to be completed in early 2025. Once constructed, it will be the largest solar plant in Bulgaria, according to company officials.
“Solar will make up almost 13% of Bulgaria’s total installed capacity this year, and estimates suggest that close to 6GW of solar power will be generated by 2030. We are very proud that St. George will be such a major part of that growth story. It will help Bulgaria meet its renewable energy targets and contribute to its energy independence. Crucially, for the business sector, it will also enable us to provide highly competitive, subsidy-free clean power at a stable price for industrial and commercial users right across the country”, said Alastair Hammond, Chief Operating Officer at Rezolv Energy.
Rezolv Energy has acquired the project from Bulgarian company YGY Industries JSC, owned by Mr. Yavor Georgiev.
The project will be built on the site of the former Silistra airport, a decommissioned airfield covering 165 hectares. The project will comprise nearly 400,000 solar panels. With an average annual power generation of 313 Gigawatt hours (GWh), it will produce the equivalent of 13% of Bulgaria’s currently-installed solar power.
The plant will be connected to the main 110 kV transmission grid via two independent connection lines totalling about 6 kilometres in length. The power will be sold to commercial and industrial users through long-term Power Purchase Agreements.
The project will create a large number of new jobs in the construction phase. Approximately 500 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) employees will be hired, both for light assembly – which is work suitable for men and women, on both a full-time and part-time basis – and highly-skilled engineering roles. Longer term, the power plant will provide local employment for skilled and semi-skilled labour throughout the 30 plus years of operation.
St. George will be designed, constructed, and operated to the highest environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.
“Rezolv continues to go from strength to strength and we are delighted to be funding its investment in such an important project. Actis’ ambition is to make a substantial contribution to the Energy Transition in this region through major, large-scale projects which are constructed and operated to the highest sustainability standards. St. George is exactly the kind of project we had in mind when we took the decision to back Rezolv”, said Jaroslava Korpanec, Partner and Head of Central & Eastern Europe at Actis.
Rezolv already owns more than 2GW of clean energy being prepared for construction in Romania, including what will be Europe’s largest solar project.