Latvia unveils its biggest solar power plant

The most ambitious solar power plant in Latvia to date - Kalkūnes SES in the region of Augšdaugava, near Daugavpils - has started production.  The new power plant has sufficient production capacity to supply at least 6,500 households in Daugavpils, investors say, Latvian Radio reported on May 3.

Kalkūnes SES is located in Kalkūne parish, Augšdaugava municipality, 10 kilometers from the center of Daugavpils. With an installed capacity of 13.3 megawatts, it will produce at least 13,500 megawatt hours of renewable energy annually in the future. The new power plant has been developed with a connection to the distribution infrastructure so that residents and businesses consume the electricity generated.

Almost EUR 10 million of Latvian capital, including EUR 4.7 million co-financed by Swedbank, has been invested in the development of Kalkūne SES. The owner of the new solar power plant is Merito Sustainable Energy Fund I, a local investment fund. Last year, with the renewable energy project developer Saules Energy, it built four new solar power plants (SPPs) in Zilupe, Brenguļi, Inčukalns, and Carnikava with a total capacity of 25 MW. Three more projects in Koknese, Cēsis, and Valmiera will be completed by autumn 2024.

"The eight new plants will generate a total of at least 70,000 MWh of electricity per year, supplying more than 35,000 households across Latvia with green energy," said Mikus Janvars, co-founder and managing partner of Merito Partners.

The general contractor of the project "Kalkūne SES" is the Latvian company "KL Systems" with many years of experience in constructing industrial solar parks in Europe and other parts of the world.

The investment fund noted that the development and operation of the solar power plant has paid great attention to preserving and protecting the biodiversity of the environment. The site includes a natural meadow with specially designed insect and animal habitats and will eventually be used by local farmers' bee colonies and sheep flocks.

Saules Energy is a Latvian developer of renewable energy projects. The company aims to make investments in environmentally friendly technologies profitable and serve a wide range of society. Merito Sustainable Energy Fund I is managed by Merito Partners, a private equity investment firm operating in Latvia and the surrounding region.

Source: Eng.LSM.lv (Latvian Public Broadcasting)
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