STEAG Solar Energy Solutions (SENS) announced in mid-February that the Sicilian PV projects that it is jointly developing with KGAL Investment Management (KGAL) will expand by 250MW to 690MW. SENS is a subsidiary of the STEAG Group that designs, constructs, and operates various types of power plants. KGAL is an investment firm that is involved in real estate and energy infrastructure. Both entities are based in Germany.
Under the original project development plan that was arranged in 2019, SENS and KGAL were to build six solar parks on the island of Sicily, specifically in the provinces of Palermo and Trapani. Together, the six solar parks would have a peak generation capacity of 440MW. However, both parties have now agreed to revise this plan and add another 250MW. Whether new project sites will be established on the island has yet to be disclosed, but the official announcement about the updated plan states that SENS will now be installing 690MW of PV generation capacity in Sicily. Once connected to the grid, these solar parks are projected to supply over 1,400GWh of electricity every year.
SENS Italia, which is an EPC and service contractor under STEAG/SENS, is being contracted by KGAL to work on the Sicilian projects. The development process is divided into several phases. According to reports from various media outlets, SENS is now preparing for the first phase that is set to commence this third quarter.
SENS and KGAL are also collaborating on two PV projects respectively located in the Spanish cities of Granada and Almeria. The combined peak generation capacity of the two Spanish projects is 40MW, which translates to an annual output of 84GWh. SENS Iberica with offices in Madrid and Seville is handling the development of these projects, and STEAG will be responsible for their operation and maintenance after they are connected to the grid.
According to the official announcement, SENS currently aims to install 500MW of PV generation capacity in Spain. Besides this immediate goal, the company wants to raise its total PV generation capacity in Italy and Spain above the 2GW level by 2023.
