Actis-backed Rezolv Energy has selected three companies – CMC Europe, Solarpro and Green Solar Energy – to build the 229MW St George solar park in Silistra Municipality, north-east Bulgaria.
Construction work is due to start very shortly, with the plant coming onstream next year.
CMC Europe and technology integrator Solarpro will together act as the engineering, procurement and construction partner for the project.
St George will be connected to the main transmission grid via a 110kV substation and two independent connection lines totalling approximately 6km in length. The high voltage work will be delivered by Green Solar Energy, also a Bulgarian company.
The park will be built on the brownfield former Silistra airport, a decommissioned airfield covering 165 hectares. The project will comprise nearly 400,000 solar panels.
The power produced will be sold to commercial and industrial users through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).
The first PPA for St George is set to be announced very soon, said Reslov, adding it is a major deal and one of the first PPAs to be signed in Bulgaria. It follows the five pioneering PPAs the company has signed in recent months connected to its 461MW Vifor wind farm in Romania.
As well as PPAs, the Bulgarian project will be financed through loan facilities from a consortium of international lending partners and regional commercial lenders.
CMC Europe and Solarpro’s role as EPC partner will involve working alongside Rezolv to implement the Environmental and Social Action Plan for St George.
This is consistent with Rezolv’s sustainability strategy, it said, which has been built on industry best practice and aligns with international standards, including the Equator Principles and the International Finance Corporation (IFC)’s Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability.
Up to 200 people will be hired in the construction phase of the project, with as many employees as possible coming from the local area. Training and skills development programmes are also being put in place.
Rezolv chief executive Alastair Hammond said: “St George will be one of the largest solar projects in Bulgaria, so it was necessary to find the right blend of local experience and international expertise.
“We also needed partners with outstanding track records who shared our commitment to sustainability. CMC Europe, Solarpro and Green Solar Energy meet all of those requirements.”
Partner and head of Central and Eastern Europe, energy infrastructure, at Actis Jaroslava Korpanec added: “It is terrific to see Rezolv Energy moving forward with the St George solar park in Bulgaria.
“Once developed, St George will be one of the largest solar plants in Bulgaria, operating 229MW of solar energy and playing a decisive part in the country’s energy transition.
“With both the Vifor wind farm and St George solar farm progressing strongly, Rezolv has the wind in its sails and is positioned to make a real difference in the region.”