Solar power has been a growing sector of renewable energy in Europe for decades now – and it is not stopping. In this article, we present the largest photovoltaic projects in Europe as of August 2023.
1) 1.35GW Karapinar solar park in Turkey
Located in Konya in south central Turkey, the Karapinar solar plant is Europe’s largest solar park with an installed capacity of 1,350 MW. Over 3 million solar panels generate 3 million KW-hours of electricity per year, which is enough to supply electricity to 2 million people. Kalyon Enerji developed the solar park as part of Turkey’s government initiative Renewable Energy Resource Zone (YEKA). The $1 billion solar facility is funded by a group of different investors and commenced operations in the beginning of 2023.
Location: Konya, southcentral Turkey
Developer: Kalyon Enerji
2) 1.2GW photovoltaic plant in Portugal
The Spanish-based multinational energy firm Iberdrola, together with Prosolia Energy, announced that they obtained the licence to create the large solar plant with a capacity of 1,200 MW. It was planned to be even larger. The plant will have slightly less than 2 million photovoltaic solar panels, which will be distributed in four areas and cover an area of almost 1,245 hectares. The large-scale solar project will generate enough energy to supply electricity to 430,000 homes annually. Located near the city of Santiago do Cacém in southern Portugal, it is expected to become operational in 2025.
Location: Setubal District, southern Portugal
Developer: Iberdrola, Prosolia Energy
3) 1GW Horizeo solar farm in France
Third on our list is a 1GW solar mega project. It will be located in the Gironde region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. French utility company ENGIE together with Paris-based developer Neoen are building the Horizeo solar farm. This large project will play an important role for the country of France to reach its goals towards a greener and more sustainable future.
Location: Gironde region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Image: American Public Power Association via Unsplash (02.08.2023)
