A report says Latvia's 174 megawatt Tume solar farm is operating

A report says Ignitis Renewables has started commercial operations at its 174 megawatt Tume solar farm in Latvia. The project is in Tukums municipality. The report, published November 9, calls it one of the largest solar farms in the Baltics. The report does not give a clock time for the start of commercial operations.

The farm covers 302 hectares and uses more than 282,000 panels. The report says it should generate enough electricity in a year for about 85,000 households. It is the first Ignitis Renewables project to use trackers, which follow the sun through the day. It is also the first of the company's renewable projects to be maintained mainly by its own specialists.

A battery at the site is not operating yet. Ignitis is building a 107 megawatt, 215 megawatt-hour storage system to sit with the solar farm. The report says that system is still under construction and will be tied into the solar farm. Once it is running, it is meant to store output and help put more renewable power on the grid.

Tume is the company's third solar project in Latvia. Frank Oomen, chief executive of Ignitis Renewables, said the start of commercial operations is another milestone in the company's green portfolio. He also said taking maintenance in house is a step in building the team's ability to run the assets. The report says the project sits in a portfolio that also covers the Baltics and Poland. It does not give a cost for the farm or a count of jobs.