Another Major Solar Plant Project Announced in Southern-Central Slovakia

Velky Blh, 16 August (TASR) - A photovoltaic power station with an installed capacity of 44.2 megawatts (MW) could be built near the village of Velky Blh in Rimavska Sobota district (Banska Bystrica region), TASR reported earlier this week based on a plan submitted by a company called Eau Chaude for an environmental impact assessment (EIA). With construction costs estimated at more than €26 million, the plan is to build a new solar plant east of Velky Blh on a grassy plot of more than 77 hectares. The plot is owned by several landowners, with Eau Chaude being the long-term lessee. "The solar plant is located on low-quality land unsuitable for growing crops or fodder. Based on available databases, models and the calculated amount of sunlight available across Slovakia, the proposed site ranks among those with the highest potential for solar energy use," reads the company's plan. The plant is designed to utilise over 65,000 solar panels capable of generating some 55,000 megawatt-hours of electricity annually on an area of 77.45 hectares. Its construction is slated to begin in 2027, with the plant due to be up and running in 2028. No new jobs will be created, however. "It will be fully automated, and staff will only be necessary for checks, maintenance or servicing," the investor explained. The project is the third major solar plant submitted for an EIA in the south of central Slovakia within a short period of time. Plans concerning 48 MW solar plants near Rimavska Sobota and Tornala (Banska Bystrica region) were announced by another investor in July. jrg/df/ko