European firms have made a number of project announcements this week, with the European Investment Bank (EIB) supporting a solar plant in Croatia, Sonnedix advancing a project in Poland and Sunrock building rooftop installations at two BWM facilities in Germany.
EIB to support 99MW Croatian solar plant
The EIB will support the development and construction of a 99MW solar project in Croatia, which will be owned and operated by Hrvatska Elektroprivreda d.d. (HEP), the country’s state-owned utility.
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The company will use EIB funds to support its work at the Korlat wind project, with the addition of new solar panels to turn the site into a hybrid renewable power project. The solar aspect is the largest solar power project in Croatia, currently under development and with a construction permit, and the EIB will support development through two sources: a loan of €30.4 million (US$32.9 million) from the EIB itself, and a loan of €31.6 million (US$34.2 million) from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), of which the EIB is a shareholder.
The Korlat wind plant has been in operation since 2021, and HEP expects to begin construction on the region’s new solar project in the first quarter of 2025, ahead of commercialisation in 2026.
“We are very proud to support HEP, Croatian national power utility, in advancing its renewable energy investments in Croatia,” said Grzegorz Zielinski, EBRD head of energy Europe. “This project, set to become the largest solar power plant in HEP’s renewable energy portfolio, underscores the pivotal role of renewables as a sustainable pathway for replacing fossil fuels.”
Sonnedix holds ceremony at 21MW Polish project
Spanish firm Sonnedix has held an “inauguration” ceremony at its WD Cluster in the Podlasie region of north-eastern Poland, a solar portfolio with a combined power capacity of 21MW.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from local and regional authorities, ahead of the cluster’s expected commissioning before the end of the year. Sonnedix has a pipeline of projects under development in Poland with a combined capacity of 1GW, making up around one-sixth of its total European pipeline of over 6GW.
“The inauguration of the WD solar cluster demonstrates our commitment to supporting Poland’s energy transition journey,” said Sonnedix CEO Axel Thiemann. “Poland is a new market for Sonnedix and we believe solar will play an important role in helping the country meet its clean energy goals.”
Sunrock to install rooftop systems at BMW facilities
Dutch rooftop solar installer Sunrock has announced plans to install panels at two BMW factories in Eastern Bavaria, Germany, with a combined power generation capacity of 14MW.
The company plans to lease the roof spaces, and commission the solar generation facilities next year, after which time BMW will acquire the power generated from the rooftop panels through a power purchase agreement (PPA). Sunrock has also announced that it will supply PV systems to “another international automotive group” this year, but has not yet named this company.
“We look forward to soon starting the installation of the PV systems in Dingolfing and Regensburg, thus supplying two BMW Group plants with locally generated solar power,” said Georg Brenninkmeijer, managing director of Sunrock Germany.
“We take full responsibility for the construction, operation and maintenance of the systems. With our approach to accompany our customers and partners over several decades, we create long-term planning security and contribute to the decarbonisation of the economy.”
The German solar sector has long been one of Europe’s leading industries, and its latest round of tenders saw significant interest, with bids made for 1.8GW of capacity, of just over 583MW of capacity available.
