Artane Rizvanolli, the economy minister of Kosovo, has revealed that the winner of a tender to build a 100 MW solar plant in the town of Rahovec is a consortium led by Swiss construction group Orllati.

The group, which includes Kosovan solar company Jaha, Swiss energy company Holdigaz, and German developer ZVP, offered a bid of $0.0524/kWh.

The authorities pre-selected six bidders for the tender's final phase. The other five bids included two consortia from Turkey. One of the groups consisted of Calik Group and Limak Holding, while the other was led by construction engineering company Güriş. The government also shortlisted Germany-based Notus, French renewables developer Akuo Energy, and Egypt’s Elsewedy Electric.

The tender was launched in July 2023. It was Kosovo’s first solar auction and attracted more than 160 expressions of interest, according to Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

The plant will be built on public land and leased to the successful bidder for up to 30 years, backed by a 15-year PPA with Kostt, the national market operator.

Figures from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) show that Kosovo had 20 MW of installed PV capacity at the end of 2023.

Kosovo currently has a renewable energy capacity target of 400 MW by 2026, which would be enough to satisfy one-quarter of its power demand.