Solarpro and Hithium Collaborate on Largest BESS Project in Southeast Europe

15.11.2023 - 12:02:04

Business Wire India

New energy storage facility will have a 55 MWh capacity
Project supports an existing 33 MWp solar installation in Razlog

Stationary battery manufacturer Hithium and solar project EPC provider Solarpro have announced a strategic partnership, with their first project to come in Bulgaria. Hithium has agreed to supply the battery products to a 55 MWh energy storage project, for which Solarpro is providing turnkey EPC services. The new plant will support a photovoltaic installation in the southwest Bulgarian town of Razlog. With construction of the new facility planned for the start of 2024, it is the largest battery energy storage project already in implementation in southeast Europe.

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“As the region’s utility-scale solar production ramps up, energy storage is gaining importance since it enables us to deliver solar-generated energy more reliably,” explained Solarpro CEO, Krasen Mateev. “We are very pleased to take this step with Hithium to accelerate the growth of energy storage in eastern Europe. We have been working on preparation, engineering and development on the joint solution over the past months for this landmark project. We are dedicated to lead the energy transition adding new technologies in our product portfolio.”

Ning (Kelson) Li, Hithium Director Large-Scale BESS Project for Central, Northern, and Eastern Europe, added: “We’re proud to collaborate with Solarpro, such an experienced European partner in the sector of renewable energy and battery energy storage system, to start with the ground-breaking for Razlog BESS plant. This project represents our entry into eastern Europe and perfectly reflects the contribution we want to make to the region, scaling up energy storage to stabilise the supply of clean energy.”

Hithium will supply 16 energy storage containers with a 3,44 MWh capacity, based on the company’s 280 Ah cells, which have an extra-long expected lifespan. They also feature a wide operating temperature range, thus the new energy storage project anticipates being able to run uninterrupted even in extreme weather. Along with their multi-stage, active fire protection system, Hithium’s containers achieve high thermal stability with liquid instead of air cooling, which also enables them to save space and increases the product’s energy density.

The BESS owner will be a subsidiary of the Vienna-based Renalfa IPP. The investor decided to co-locate the big battery within the existing 33 MWp capacity PV plant. The solar farm is equipped by a photovoltaic tracker mounting system, enhancing the installation’s efficiency and output, along with its own substation. The area where the plant is situated has some of Bulgaria’s highest levels of irradiation to provide an exceptional degree of electricity generation.

About Solarpro

Solarpro is one of the leading providers of a range of solutions for generation, systems integration, and storage of energy. The company is an experienced technological leader in the renewable energy industry with a proven track record of more than 15 years as one of the largest EPC and O&M players in the photovoltaic sector in Europe.

The group started its PV business in 2007 and with projects in over 18 countries and more than 6 GWp of installed capacity to date, Solarpro provides added value by delivering innovative PV solutions based on the extensive expertise of its multinational teams.

About Renalfa

Renalfa IPP is a Vienna-based clean energy and e-mobility investment group. It is a joint venture of the Vienna-based Renalfa Solarpro Group GmbH and the French infrastructure fund manager RGreen Invest. The group is also one of the main investors in the leading European EV car-sharing platform Spark.

Renalfa IPP owns renewable energy generating facilities with an overall capacity of over 450 MW in Bulgaria, Hungary, the Republic of North Macedonia and Romania. An additional more than 1 GW are in an advanced stage of development and construction.

About Hithium

Founded in 2019, HiTHIUM is a leading manufacturer of top quality stationary energy storage products for utility-scale, commercial, and industrial applications. With four R&D centers and multiple intelligent production facilities, HiTHIUM has delivered innovations including groundbreaking safety improvements to its lithium-ion batteries, as well as increases in lifecycle and more compact design. With many decades of cumulative experience in the field among its founders and senior executives, Hithium leverages its specialization in BESS to provide partners and customers unique advances in energy storage.

The company is based in Xiamen, China, with further locations in Shenzhen, Chongqing, Munich, Dubai, and California. HiTHIUM has shipped 11 GWh of battery capacity to date, with 5 GWh delivered in 2022 alone, and is expanding to 70 GWh production capacity by the end of 2023.