The construction of Bulgaria’s largest solar power plant, the 124 MW Verila project, is due to be completed by spring 2023 and will increase solar power generation in the country by 12%. The new plant is located to the south of Sofia, and is being delivered by Sunotec.
Construction started in September this year on the ground-mounted PV project. The greatest challenge the developer will face is the nature of the terrain – a hilly site in the Verila mountain range, east of the small town of Dupnitsa. Valentin Gospodinov, country manager for Bulgaria, commented: “The location of the solar power plant at … between 700 and 1000 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. However, this also means that we have to adapt the machinery as well as the sequence of implementation to the challenging topography of the site.”
Sunotec is responsible for all aspects of engineering, project management, procurement and construction of the new plant, which will require 20 230 solar modules, 4305 tons of steel structure and 1125 km of cabling. It is one of seven projects that Sunotec is currently undertaking in the country.
Image: Visualisation of the completed Verila solar power plant (courtesy of Sunotec)
