Five solar projects planned in Russian Far East

An Austro-Russian consortium which has developed solar projects in the Astrakhan region of Russia, near the Caspian Sea, today announced plans for five new PV facilities much further east.

The group, led by Austrian solar developer Green Source Consulting GmbH and Russian energy project business Vershina Development LLC, said it plans to commission five PV projects with a total generation capacity of 75 MW near the Russian border with Mongolia and North Korea.

The consortium, which also includes Austrian investment company Core Value Capital GmbH, and compatriot businesses the construction firm LSG Beteiligungs GmbH and contractor Gildemeister energy solutions GmbH says the projects will be commissioned by the end of November.

Three projects, with a total capacity of 45 MW will take shape in the districts of Kyakhtinsky, Kabansky and Tarbagataisky in the Republic of Buryatia and two more will be developed near the city of Chita in Zabaykalsky Krai. The latter two facilities will be the first developed in the region under Russia’s Renewable Energy Sources Capacity Delivery Agreement, according to a statement released by the consortium yesterday.

Light on detail

No details of the value of the projects or of offtakers for the energy they generate were outlined in the release, which added the consortium responsible had previously developed 60 MW of solar capacity in Astrakhan.

Pavel Shevchenko, CEO of Vershina Development said his firm – which states it has already operated in Vietnam and Thailand – is keen to expand into new markets outside Russia.

“We plan to complete construction by the end of this year and bring all five power plants to the wholesale market,” said the CEO in the press release announcing the projects. “Further in the plans of our company is … expansion abroad. We are actively working on project development and discussing with potential investors the creation of a fund to finance renewable energy projects in other countries.”