Actis-funded Rezolv Energy company has selected three contractors - CMC Europe, Solarpro and Green Solar Energy - to build the 229-MW St. George solar plant, which will be located in the municipality of Silistra, the company in a statement, reports Bulgarian News Agency (BTA)

Construction works will start shortly and the park is expected to be opened next year. CMC Europe and Solarpro will work together to implement the contract.

The St. George's solar plant will be connected to the grid via a 110 kV substation and two independent lines with a total length of approximately 6 km. The high voltage installation will be built by Green Solar Energy, which is also a Bulgarian company.

The St. George solar plant will be built on the decommissioned airport near Silistra. It will cover an area of 165 hectares. The project will include the installation of nearly 400 000 solar panels.

The electricity generated will be sold to commercial and industrial consumers through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs).

In addition to the PPA, the St. George project will be financed through loans from a consortium of international lending partners as well as regional commercial lenders.

The construction will employ up to 200 people, with as many employees as possible coming from the region. Training and skills development programmes are also being introduced. In the longer term, the park will continue to provide local employment throughout its 30-plus years of operation, according to the release.