Russia’s Largest Solar Power Plant Commissioned in Orenburg Region
Two large solar power plants (SPP) in Sorochinsk and Novosergievka, Orenburg Region have been launched. The total power load capacity of 105 MW makes these renewable energy facilities the largest in Russia.
New SPPs are the first part of the TPlus Company renewable energy investment program Solar System. The construction of the facilities, which started in February 2018, was completed ahead of time: initially, the power plants were planned to be put into operation in 2019.
The launching ceremony took place in the west of Orenburg Region. Denis Pasler, Chairman of the Board of PAO TPlus, and Yury Berg, Governor of Orenburg Region launched the industrial operation of the facilities.
The Sorochinsk solar power plant (SPP Uran) with a capacity of 60 MW has become the most potent photovoltaic facility in the Unified Energy System of Russia. More than 200 thousand photocells are spread on a 120-hectare lot.
Novosergievskaya solar power plant (SPP Neptune) with a capacity of 45 MW is the second largest similar facility in the country. More than 150 thousand photocells are installed on 92 hectares.
The total cost of the implemented projects reached 10 billion roubles. Hevel plant in the Chuvash Republic produced the main elements for both SPPs. The capacity of the new power plants allows to power about 10 thousand households, thus fully covering the power needs of the Novosergievsky District and the Sorochinsky urban district. Also, the new SPPs will save 40 thousand tons of fuel equivalent, which is almost 500 heavy oil tanks.
In the next four years, TPlus plants to invest another 8.5 billion roubles in renewable energy sources and bring an additional 70 MW of solar power to the wholesale market.
The TPlus Group was a partner of the Russian Energy Week International Forum, which was held on 3–6 October 2018 in Moscow. Representatives of the company took part in the panel sessions ‘The Future of Russia’s Heat Supply’ and ‘Power Engineering: Providing Modernization Plans for the Electrical Energy Industry’.
Several events of the REW 2018 business programme were also devoted to solar energy. In particular, during the roundtable ‘Renewable Energy Sources in Russia: From the Wholesale Market to Supplying Energy to Isolated Regions’, experts noted that solar energy is becoming so popular that there have been cases of solar modules theft.
