CEZ to build two large solar plants for CZK 4.2 bn in north Bohemia

Czech energy group CEZ will build two large photovoltaic power plants near Chomutov, northern Bohemia, for Kc4.2bn, each with a capacity of over 100 MW, which is more than three times the capacity of the largest solar power plants in the Czech Republic so far, it was announced today.

The semi-state company will receive over Kc1bn in subsidies from the Modernisation Fund for the investment, the daily noted, referring to contracts signed by the State Environment Fund (SFZP) and CEZ at the end of March.

CEZ spokeswoman Barbora Peterova said, the construction should start at the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026.

The planned solar power plants are to be built on reclaimed land after brown coal mining. The larger of the two projects is to be located at Tusimice, where the plant should have a capacity of 126.7 MW. The second project, called Vysocany - Plato, is to have an installed capacity of 115.7 MW.

"At the moment, the permitting processes necessary to start the construction are underway," Peterova said.

When completed, the two installations should be the largest photovoltaic power plants in the Czech Republic. The largest so far are FVE Ralsko of CEZ Group at several localities with a total capacity of 38.3 MW and FWE Czech Novum near Melnik, central Bohemia, with a capacity of 35.1 MW, built by Decci Group. Both were built in the era of the first solar boom in the Czech Republic in 2010.

Currently, other large photovoltaic projects are in the pipeline, include another CEZ project near Kadan, northern Bohemia, where a power plant with an output of 87.65 MW should be built.

Peterova pointed out that among CEZ's largest other planned solar investments is the site in Prunerov, northern Bohemia, where the company is considering the construction of projects with an output of up to 243 MW. "In general, we are developing photovoltaic power plant projects with a capacity of about 400 MW in the Tusimice-Prunerov locality," Peterova added.

I twas reported that CEZ is preparing other projects with an output of tens of megawatts. Last year it signed a package of 20 contracts with the SFZP for financing photovoltaic parks with a total capacity of around 235 MW. Some of these contracts envisage the construction of solar power plants in the Usti nad Moravia-Silesia regions, mostly in areas of former mining or industrial production.

Currently, CEZ has seven photovoltaic plants under construction with a total capacity of 38.4 MW.

Other companies are preparing large solar parks as well. According to the daily, the Sev.en group of entrepreneur Pavel Tykac has recently signed contracts with the SFZP for subsidies for five large solar power plants in the Most district, northern Bohemia, with a total capacity of 121.8 MW. Three photovoltaic plants with a total capacity of 45 MW are being prepared in the Karlovy Vary Region, western Bohemia, by the SUAS Group.

Source: Ekonomicky denik and CTK