Slovenia’s first utility scale solar plant

Slovenian hydropower plant operator HESS has announced it will build a 6 MW solar park close to its 47.7 MW Brežice hydroelectric plant on the lower Sava River.

The facility will be located on the right bank of the river between a grove and an embankment, 3km upstream from the hydropower plant. “It is a sediment dump area, measuring approximately 9ha and the solar power plant will cover 6ha,” the company stated. “Part of the landfill must be maintained for its primary function, which is the disposal of sediments from the river.”

HESS also specified that the plant is being deployed in a way that it could be relocated somewhere else if more surface for sediment disposal will be needed. The solar park will be linked to the hydroelectric power plant via a cable line and will be considered as its fourth unit. “It will be the first solar power plant in Slovenia that will transmit the produced electricity to the 110 kV transmission network,” HESS further explained.

The company is also planning to implement a pumped hydro storage solution in combination with the solar park. The value of the entire project is estimated at approximately €4.3 million.

According to the latest statistics from the International Renewable Energy Agency, Slovenia had installed PV power capacity of around 222 MW. In 2019, new PV additions totaled only 1 MW.