The 18.5-MW solar park, which is located near the lignite-fired power plant Matrai Erömü, successfully completed its test operation phase and has now been handed over to the operator. The project was carried out by IBC Solar AG's Austrian subsidiary.
It may be a dwarf compared to its fossil fuel-fired neighbour, but for solar energy in Hungary, it is a giant. The solar power plant in Vistona, which is the largest in the country to date, was ready for test operation at the end of September. The project, which covers an area of 300,000 square metres and consists of 72,480 modules, was planned and carried out by IBC Solar Austria. Ten inverter stations convert the energy into alternating current and feed it into the grid. According to IBC Solar AG from Bad Staffelstein, it is the largest single project in the company's history. Construction began in June of this year.
The site that was chosen for building the solar power plant is laden with symbolism: The modules are installed on top of the slag heap of the neighbouring lignite power plant, which was built in the 1960s. With a generation capacity of 936 MW, it is Hungary's second-largest power plant. Only the nuclear power plant is bigger. RWE Power and EnBW both have stakes in the operating company Mátra Kraftwerk GAG.
Ralf Ossenbrink