Síkela: Czech Industry Ministry in talks to increase recovery plan funding for solar PV

The Ministry of Industry and Trade is negotiating with the European Commission to increase funding from the National Recovery Plan for financing photovoltaic power plants and other renewable sources. Last year, it allocated five billion crowns to related projects, but received applications totalling ten billion CZK. Industry and Trade Minister Jozef Síkela (STAN) said this today at an international trade union economic conference in Prague.

According to Síkela, more than 6,000 applications had been received by November. „The allocation has been oversubscribed, which is why we are discussing an increase in funding with European Commission representatives so that the maximum number of projects leading to reduced dependence on grid supplies can be financed,“ the minister said.

According to Síkela, the National Recovery Plan needs to be amended because it was developed as a post-Covid recovery instrument, but is now being expanded to include assistance for individual countries in shifting their energy sectors away from Russian sources. The changes should enable Czechia to draw a further 14 billion crowns in grants.

According to the Solar Association, 33,760 photovoltaic power plants with a total capacity of 288.8 megawatts (MW) were commissioned in the Czech Republic last year, an annual increase of 366 percent. The average size of plants is also gradually increasing.

However, the growing number of installations is running up against constraints including insufficient capacity at installation companies, missing components and the quality of installation work. As a result, waiting times for installation often doubled last year. Problems are also arising with connecting new photovoltaic power plants to distribution grids, particularly in southern Moravia. Distributors argue that in some especially heavily affected areas, they have to limit applications in order to maintain grid reliability. They are planning investments to improve the situation, while they say legislative changes are also necessary.

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