Verila Project, Bulgaria’s Largest Solar Power Plant
The Verila project, which is being built in hilly terrain south of Sofia, will increase solar power generation in the country by 12 percent. The construction of Bulgaria’s largest solar power plant is due to be completed by spring 2023. The new power plant, south of Sofia will generate green electricity with a capacity of 124 megawatts peak. The Verila project is being delivered by SUNOTEC, the European market leader in the construction of solar parks.
Since September 2022, up to 90 highly skilled SUNOTEC employees have been working on the construction of a ground-mounted PV (photovoltaic) power plant in Bulgaria. 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, about an hour’s drive south of the capital Sofia.
“The location of the solar power plant at an altitude between 700 and 1,000 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. Therefore, it is utterly important to have highly experienced workers for the implementation,” Valentin Gospodinov, Country Manager for Bulgaria.
Solar Output in Bulgaria Set to Increase by 12%
With a nominal output of 124 megawatts peak (MWp), the Verila solar power plant will make a significant contribution to Bulgaria’s green electricity mix from spring 2023 onwards. Built by SUNOTEC, the new solar park will generate energy equivalent to 12 percent of the current total output of all PV plants in the country. [i] This makes it by far the largest single plant in Bulgaria. It is just one of seven projects that SUNOTEC is currently undertaking in the country.
“Like many other countries in the EU, Bulgaria needs to dramatically increase its capacity in the renewable energy sector, especially in light of the current climate and energy crises,” says SUNOTEC founder and CEO Kaloyan Velichkov. “We have to provide significant amounts of additional renewable energy in the shortest possible timeframe. This is a mammoth task. We are proud to make a vital contribution by building solar power plants like the one in Verila.”
SUNOTEC Acting in the Capacity of General Contractor
SUNOTEC is responsible for all aspects of engineering, project management, procurement and construction of the new Bulgarian solar power plant located east of Dupnitsa. This entails 220,230 modules, 4,305 tons of steel structure and 1,125.5 kilometres of cabling. This also includes the provision of skilled labour and the availability of specialized machinery from the company’s own fleet.
“The construction of our solar parks is carried out exclusively by our own permanent workforce,” says SUNOTEC CEO Bernhard Suchland. “Given the exacting standards and the level of expertise required on the construction site, we prefer not to work with subcontractors. On a large-scale project as complex as this, it could potentially cause many risks in the implementation timeline, quality, and health & safety. Above all, it would not be consistent with our corporate philosophy.”
About SUNOTEC
SUNOTEC is Europe’s market leader in the construction of utility solar PV plants. The company, based in Sofia (Bulgaria) and Munich (Germany), currently employs more than 1,000 people. It has already built more than 400 grid connected solar power plants. SUNOTEC has so far provided its services for the built of 6.3 gigawatts of green energy, representing a significant contribution to a sustainable and green energy mix in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
[i] Total PV capacity currently recorded in the public register for renewable energies in Bulgaria is 1,033 MW (source: https://www.veiregistar.bg/, 28/11/2022). 