(Nova Gorica, 13 March 2026) Today, mag. Bojan Kumer, Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy, and Mitja Gorjan, Director General of Soške elektrarne Nova Gorica (SENG), concluded contracts on co-financing the projects of the Kanalski Vrh solar power plant and the Dekani solar power plant at the head office of the SENG company in Nova Gorica.
The SENG company and its parent company, Holding Slovenske elektrarne (HSE), commend the activities of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy (MOPE) regarding the promotion of investment in infrastructure that is based on renewable energy sources and sustainable development. With the projects of Kanalski Vrh and Dekani solar power plants, the state is giving further impetus to the production of electricity from renewable sources.
With regard to exploitation of renewable energy resources (RES), Slovenia is lagging behind numerous EU Member States. To this end, the national strategy in this field envisages to reach at least a 27% proportion in the use of RES by 2030. In recent years, many measures have been adopted at the national level, which promote and simplify the siting of such infrastructure in the environment. A significant step in this direction was the adoption of the Act on the Introduction of Installations for the Production of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources (ZUNPEOVE) in 2023, which eliminated numerous administrative and spatial barriers to the siting of solar power plants. The Act enables the installation of solar power plants in a broader range of locations, particularly brownfield areas, such as waste material landfills and dumping sites. Additional support to such projects is provided by the EU Modernisation Fund and the Call for proposals for co-financing investments in new solar or wind power installations managed in Slovenia by MOPE. The funds are intended to finance energy projects, with an emphasis on low-carbon technologies.
The SENG company is a member of the HSE Group and one of the key producers of electricity from renewable sources in Slovenia. In addition to a chain of five large hydro power plants and a pumped-storage hydro power plant on the Soča River, the company also manages 22 small hydro power plants on the Soča tributaries across the entire region of North Primorska. With its production facilities, the company generates about one quarter of all hydroelectric power produced in Slovenia. A special place in the production portfolio is ascribed to the Avče pumped-storage hydro power plant, which is the first and currently the only pumped-storage hydro power plant in Slovenia, playing a crucial role in the stabilisation of, and the integration of RES, in the electricity system.
Mitja Gorjan, Director General of the SENG company, highlighted, “SENG is developing a balanced production portfolio of electricity from renewable sources which, combining hydro power capacities, the pumped-storage hydro power plant and solar power plants, proves that it is possible to establish a stable, environmentally acceptable and sustainability-focused electricity system. The dispersion of technologies and the understanding that a single source alone cannot ensure complete energy independence represent the main drivers of development in the SENG company when seeking solutions for a sustainable, resilient and socially acceptable energy transition.”
In this context, the support of the state is vital, as its policies promote the development of projects involving renewable energy sources and generate the conditions for the attainment of the energy and climate targets of the Republic of Slovenia, the European Union and the parent company, HSE.
Dr Tomaž Štokelj, Chief Executive Officer of HSE: “The HSE Group is one of the key spearheads of the green transition in the Slovenian energy sector. The company Soške elektrarne Nova Gorica is realising our vision in the Primorska region. With today’s signing of the contracts on co-financing, we are laying the foundations for the construction of two new projects in the field of renewable electricity sources. We will triple the capacity of the existing Kanalski Vrh solar power plant, while the Dekani solar power plant will provide new development significance for the brownfield area of the excavated material landfill and thus become another example of the HSE Group’s good practice when it comes to siting energy facilities in brownfield areas. Once the investment is completed, both power plants will be among the largest solar power plants in Slovenia. The construction of new renewable energy sources is also important from the aspect of the resilience of the Slovenian energy sector and the state as a whole, since we thus subsequently reduce reliance on security of supply and unpredictable gas and oil prices, which is particularly topical in the light of recent developments around the world. I am pleased that SENG is successfully realising the objectives set within the extensive investment cycle of the HSE Group, and I would like to thank Minister Kumer for supporting both projects.”
THE DEKANI AND KANALSKI VRH SOLAR POWER PLANTS
A proportion of the funds for both projects was provided from the EU Modernisation Fund and the Call for proposals for co-financing investments in new solar or wind power installations, which are intended to accelerate the green transition and increase electricity production from renewable sources. The investments will contribute to Slovenia’s greater energy resilience, decarbonisation of the energy sector and sustainable development of the local environment.
THE KANALSKI VRH SOLAR POWER PLANT
The Kanalski Vrh solar power plant project is sited on the embankments of the accumulation reservoir of the Avče pumped-storage hydro power plant at Kanalski Vrh. The first phase of the project was completed in June 2025. It operates with an installed capacity of approximately 2.6 MW and is already transmitting electricity to the electricity network. Further extension of the project, the so-called second phase, anticipates an additional 4.7 MW, which will amount to an approximate total of 7.3 MW of installed capacity. The expected annual production is estimated at 8,000 MWh of electricity. The total value of the project is approximately EUR 14.1 million, of which co-financing is expected to account for up to EUR 5.9 million. The project is co-financed from the EU Modernisation Fund, which is managed by MOPE and intended to support investment in low-carbon energy systems and increase electricity production from renewable sources.
The construction of the second phase of the Kanalski Vrh solar power plant is set to start at the beginning of 2027.
Four systemic hydro power plants and the first pumped-storage hydro power plant in Slovenia are already operating in the Municipality of Kanal ob Soči, and since June 2025, the first major solar power plant of the SENG company has also been operating. The Municipality, in which a long tradition of hydro power activities and the development of new renewable energy resources are intertwined, is thus one of the key partners of the SENG company. Miha Stegel, Mayor of the Municipality of Kanal ob Soči, emphasised, “Such development is based on good long-standing cooperation between the SENG company and the Municipality of Kanal ob Soči, as well as mutual trust that has been forged over decades. We are pleased that, while respecting the landscape and the local community, projects are being developed in our region that contribute to a reliable supply of electricity and the transition to a low-carbon society. I am certain that together we will continue to develop projects that will result in benefits for the local environment and Slovenia’s broader energy sphere.”
THE DEKANI SOLAR POWER PLANT
The Dekani solar power plant project is planned for the Zamatavinc waste material landfill site in the Municipality of Koper. Material excavated during the construction of a tunnel on the Primorska section of the motorway is deposited there. The location was recognised as particularly suitable due to its position and the openness of the area. In accordance with the provisions of the Act on the Introduction of Installations for the Production of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources (ZUNPEOVE), the location was discussed as a priority area for the installation of a solar power plant. No protected areas of nature or cultural heritage were registered in the area.
Another advantage of the location is the already maintained and accessible infrastructure. The installation of solar panels will be adjusted to the configuration of the terrain and will not affect the morphological or functional characteristics of the broader area. The site is also removed from the nearest settlement of Dekani and the installation of the power plant will not affect the visual perception of the surroundings.
In the area of the landfill, the SENG company will construct a free-standing solar power plant with a rated capacity of approximately 7.8 MWp, together with a transformer station and connection line to the electricity network. Photovoltaic modules will be installed on a fixed metal substructure with a gradient between 20° and 30°. The bottom section of the construction will be lifted from the ground by at least 0.8 metre, enabling regular maintenance of the surfaces across the entire area of the power plant, which amounts to 34,047 m².
The construction of the Dekani solar power plant is expected to start this year and take about one year to complete.
The entire investment is estimated at EUR 6.1 million, of which MOPE will provide up to EUR 1.4 million in grants from the Fund for co-financing investments in new solar or wind power generation facilities in Slovenia within the EU Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027.
Statement by mag. Bojan Kumer, Minister of the Environment, Climate and Energy:
“If, as a state, we want to ensure long-term energy security and stable energy prices, we must generate energy domestically to the greatest extent possible – from our renewable sources. The Kanalski Vrh and Dekani solar power plant projects thus represent a significant step towards the greater energy independence of Slovenia and the acceleration of the green transition. With the help of European grants and the support of the EU Modernisation Fund, such projects can be realised faster, and a modern, low-carbon and resilient energy system for the future can be built.”
With the Kanalski Vrh and Dekani solar power plant projects, the SENG company, which is part of the HSE Group, the largest producer of electricity from renewable energy sources in Slovenia, continues to develop a diverse production portfolio from renewable energy sources and affirms its role as a major spearhead of the green transition in Slovenia. The investments are an important step towards increasing domestic electricity production from renewable energy sources, greater energy self-sufficiency of the state and the realisation of the climate objectives of the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union. The support of the state and an active role of the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Energy in the co-financing and generating of favourable conditions for the development of such projects are crucial for the attainment of strategic energy and sustainable objectives. Furthermore, the projects prove that responsible siting of energy facilities in the environment and the utilisation of already existing or brownfield areas enable the development of a modern energy infrastructure that observes the needs of the electricity system and the interests of the local environment.
