Sunotec to complete 124 MWp solar plant in Bulgaria in spring 2023

The ground-mounted installation, located in the Verila mountain range, east of the town of Dupnitsa, will raise Bulgaria's overall solar power generation capacity by 12% from the current 1,033 MW, Sunotec said in a press release.

The company has employed 90 staff for the plant's construction since September and expects to complete it by spring 2023.

"The location of the solar power plant at an altitude between 700 and 1,000 metres above sea level, with slopes as steep as 18 degrees, is one of the most adventurous and unique in Europe. The lower temperatures caused by the high altitude contributes to the generation of additional power," Valentin Gospodinov, country manager for Bulgaria, said.

Sunotec is in charge of engineering tasks, project management, procurement and construction for the plant. The company will install 220,230 modules, 4,305 tonnes of steel structure and 1,125.5 kilometres of cables.

"The construction of our solar parks is carried out exclusively by our own permanent workforce. Given the exacting standards and the level of expertise required on the construction site, we prefer not to work with subcontractors," Sunotec CEO Bernhard Suchland explained.

Based in Sofia and Munich, Sunotec has built 400 grid-connected solar power plants and employs over 1,000 staff. To date, the company has worked on the development of 6.3 GW of green energy capacity in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Bulgaria’s Integrated National Plan for Energy and Climate until 2030 and the EU-funded National Recovery and Resilience Plan as well as planned electricity market liberalisation are expected to drive strong growth in renewables project development in the short and medium term. Under the integrated plan, the country aims to achieve a minimum 27.09% share of renewables in its gross energy consumption over the next decade.

In 2023, Bulgaria is required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 10% compared to 2005 levels under annual binding targets for EU members to 2030, the European Commission said last month. Traditionally reliant on coal for power generation, the country must cut its emissions by an overall 40% by 2025.