BRATISLAVA, August 3, (WEBNOVINY) — The Regulatory Office for Network Industries (URSO) has lodged a criminal complaint in association with speculative actions related connecting photovoltaic power plants to the grid. It filed the papers on Wednesday at the Prosecutor General’s Office. The office should examine actions of regional construction offices that issued and validated final commissioning approvals for photovoltaic power plants without required documents. The Prosecutor General’s Office should also inspect whether corrupt behavior did not occur on other parts also involved in issuance of documents required for operation of photovoltaic power plants as well. The regulator provided this information to SITA news agency.
The Regulatory Office for Network Industries informed last week that it inspected almost 400 companies operating photovoltaic power plants. Problems were identified with about ten percent of scrutinized companies. “We found several flaws during the inspections. What is bewildering is that the companies inspected received their final commissioning approvals and went through all tests and in spite of this, their power generation facilities were not yet completed. They were unable to generate the declared amount of electricity as specific output of the panels was not installed,“ URSO head Jozef Holjencik informed. The regulator also discovered administrative flaws, when some documents were missing but the plant was declared operational in spite of this detail.
The Economy Ministry is going to file a criminal complaint against an unknown perpetrator in association with speculative actions in connecting photovoltaic power plants to the national grid. Economy Minister Juraj Miskov suspects that some solar power plants could have been connected at odds with the law-set criteria and benefit from generous feed-in tariffs. The State Energy Inspection is also examining the situation.
URSO has informed that it has been inspecting the photovoltaic power plants on its own initiative since the beginning of this year with no interaction with the Economy Ministry. “The inspection has been focused on the real situation in the process of installation of photovoltaic power plants, production of which is funded by all electricity consumers. Based on the inspection, the office will draw conclusions within the limits of its powers but because some facts exceed its competences, it has been forced to address the Prosecutor General’s Office,” explained the office.
The Slovak Association of Photovoltaic Industry denounced sharply the practices of some individuals who did not observe effective legislation in the process of construction of solar power plants. The association also strongly opposes to generalization of misconduct of individuals to the whole sector.
SITA