St George environmental impact
St. George will make a major contribution to the energy transition in Bulgaria, helping to limit the long-term impact of climate change and improving air quality for all Bulgarians.
Clean Energy
Producing the equivalent of 9% of Bulgaria’s currently-installed solar capacity.
Air Quality
Making a contribution to improving air quality – and therefore human health in Bulgaria.
Climate Benefit
Limiting the long-term effects of climate change which includes more frequent serious flooding.
Zero Emissions
Helping Bulgarian companies achieve net-zero emissions.
Bright FutureSolar Initiative
Once operational, St. George will be one of the largest solar plants in Bulgaria and will be a big step towards Bulgaria fulfilling its substantial solar potential. The project will also create opportunities for workers to transition away from the coal industry, a vital part of Bulgaria’s ‘just transition’. It will contribute to other political priorities as well, including long-term energy security and a reduction in energy bills.
Finally, there will be important benefits for local businesses. The power from St. George will be sold to companies through long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs). PPAs offer businesses many things: long-term certainty about the energy price they will pay, peace of mind over the security of supply, and an emission reduction guarantee – which, for companies in the supply chain of multinational firms with comprehensive net zero targets, could be vital to their long-term viability.
EnhancingAir Quality and Biodiversity
Rezolv’s strategy promotes eco-friendly energy, with St. George solar plant enhancing biodiversity and tackling the health-threatening PM2.5 pollution in Bulgaria.
Benefits to wildlife
Rezolv’s sustainability strategy has been built on industry best practice and adheres to international standards, including the Equator Principles and the International Finance Corporation (IFC)’s Environmental and Social Performance Standards. One of its pillars is striving to ensure that each of our renewable energy plants supports flourishing ecosystems.
St. George will be built on a decommissioned airfield and Bulgaria’s Executive Environment Agency, a branch of the Ministry of Environment and Water, concluded that the project would not pose a threat to wildlife or biodiversity. However, our goal is to ensure that St. George delivers a net biodiversity gain. As a result, we are committed to identifying and proactively exploring opportunities to deliver nature positive outcomes for biodiversity during the lifecycle of the solar plant.
Benefits to health
Air pollution is a major health issue, causing and aggravating respiratory and cardiovascular disease. One particular area of concern is exposure to harmful concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5). PM2.5 levels are high across South East Europe, a fact the European Environment Agency (EEA) blames primarily on the burning of solid fuels such as coal for domestic heating and their use in industry.
In 2021, the World Health Organization recommended that, long-term, people should not be exposed to more than 5 micrograms of PM2.5 per cubic metre. The most recent air quality assessments from the EEA rated four of the six Bulgarian cities that were evaluated as “poor” in terms of air quality, meaning that PM2.5 levels were over 15 micrograms per cubic metre. This included Ruse, the evaluated city closest to Silistra. This has a direct impact on human health. The EEA concluded that, in 2021, exposure to PM2.5 concentrations above WHO guideline levels in Bulgaria could be linked to 157 premature deaths per 100,000 inhabitants, the highest rate anywhere in the EU.
