Slovenia has added three large solar projects to its national Development Program Plan for 2026–2029, paving the way for new solar capacity to enter the grid from late 2027 and early 2028. All projects will be developed by companies within the HSE group, with a combined investment exceeding €45 million, including more than €18 million from the EU’s Modernization Fund.
The largest project, the Zlatolicje–Formin solar plant, is led by DEM. While a small 2.5 MW installation already exists, the expansion will bring total capacity to nearly 22 MW, producing over 24,000 MWh annually from more than 37,000 solar panels across the Zlatolicje and Formin hydropower plants on the Drava river. The total investment of €21.7 million is mostly covered by the investor, with the remainder supported by EU funds. Completion is planned for February 2028, followed by commercial operation in March.
At Kanalski Vrh, SENG plans to expand solar generation alongside existing hydropower assets, complementing the Avce pump-storage plant and the Soca river cascade. Capacity will grow from 2.9 MW to 7.3 MW, generating over 8,000 MWh annually, with an estimated investment of €14 million, including €5.9 million from the Modernization Fund. The project is expected to finish financing by late 2027, though the exact start of electricity generation remains to be confirmed.
The third project, also managed by DEM, involves constructing a new 10 MW solar plant on the closed Pobrezje landfill in Maribor, feeding electricity directly into the national grid. Total investment is projected at €9.6 million, nearly €4 million of which comes from EU funding, with completion targeted by the end of 2027.
Together, these three developments mark a major step in expanding Slovenia’s renewable energy portfolio, combining new generation capacity with innovative use of existing infrastructure and degraded land.
