EUROPE ROUND-UP: EIB backs Croatian project, Sonnedix advances Polish facility, Sunrock to partner with BMW

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
A Hrvatska Elektroprivreda project.
The Korlat hybrid project has been generating wind power since 2021. Image: Hrvatska Elektroprivreda.

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.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

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.

25 November 2025
Warsaw, Poland
Large Scale Solar Central and Eastern Europe continues to be the place to leverage a network that has been made over more than 10 years, to build critical partnerships to develop solar projects throughout the region.
2 December 2025
Málaga, Spain
Understanding PV module supply to the European market in 2026. PV ModuleTech Europe 2025 is a two-day conference that tackles these challenges directly, with an agenda that addresses all aspects of module supplier selection; product availability, technology offerings, traceability of supply-chain, factory auditing, module testing and reliability, and company bankability.
10 March 2026
Frankfurt, Germany
The conference will gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing out to 2030 and beyond.

Read Next

Premium
June 30, 2025
Solargis CEO Marcel Suri explores three areas where new standards could help underpin greater efficiency, accuracy and market resilience.
June 30, 2025
Eni subsidiary Plentiude has started operations at the northern block of its 330MW Renopool solar portfolio in Spain.
June 27, 2025
Statkraft has signed PPAs with Better Energy to purchase energy from two solar power plants in Poland with a total capacity of 64GWh.
June 27, 2025
PV Tech spoke to Monika Paplaczyk about recent changes in the UK energy mix and opportunities for investors in the solar sector.
Premium
June 27, 2025
PV Talk: '2024 was a transformational year in terms of energy policy,' says Monika Paplaczyk ahead of this year's Clean Power 2030 Summits.
June 26, 2025
Nextracker will supply solar tracker systems to a 550MW solar PV project in the Greek province of Western Macedonia, owned by Greek renewables developer PPC Renewables.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece