Russia's LIKOIL company has started the pilot run of a photovoltaic power plant in Bulgaria, the company said in a report. The facility is located near Bulgaria's resort city of Burghas and occupies an area of 2.5 hectares.
According to the company's report, the power plant's designated capacity is 1.25 megawatts. The power plant will generate electricity, which will be sold through an open market at a preferential tariff that will be effective within twelve years, the company said.
Currently, the power plant's preferential tariff more than fourfold exceeds the market cost of electricity for industrial consumers, the company explained.
Pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions at the photovoltaic power plants are expected to be 1,600 tonnes less than at the traditional thermal electricity generation units of the same capacity.
The photovoltaic power plants will be operated by the LUKOIL-Ecoenergo subsidiary, which was established in 2011 in order to implement projects in the alternative electricity generation sphere.