Markets

Netherlands-based developer Giga Storage has obtained the irrevocable permit for the construction of a 600 MW/2,400 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project in Belgium.

The International Energy Agency (IEA) Photovoltaic Power Systems Programme (PVPS) has published a wide-reaching snapshot of the global PV market, covering installations, manufacturing, policy trends, and grid integration.

Demand for silver in the photovoltaic industry hit 193.5 million ounces in 2023, according to the Silver Institute. It predicts that demand will grow by another 20% in 2024.

In another article of a series on gender equality, Women in Solar Europe (WiSEu) gives voice Mariyana Yaneva, Vice Chair at the Association for production, storage and trading with electricity (APSTE). She explained that policies allowing childcare needs to be met but do not place the burden of care explicitly on women increase the chances that women can build the business acumen and professional contacts necessary to qualify for a corporate board.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, reports that dust storms and slear skies led to contrasting March Solar Performance in West Asia. The Arabian Peninsula experienced humid winds and dust storms that reduced solar irradiance to 90% of typical levels for the month.

In a new weekly update for pv magazine, OPIS, a Dow Jones company, offers bite-sized analysis on solar PV module supply and price trends.

Development of an 800 MW/ 9,600 MWh pumped hydro project in the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone in New South Wales, Australia, is now moving forward, as renewables company Acen Australia has started geological works on site.

A new US Department of Energy (DoE) roadmap outlines 35 ways to allow solar developers to expedite the interconnection of utility-scale renewables and storage projects. The roadmap, developed through a DoE stakeholder process known as i2X, proposes actions to implement these solutions.

ReNew Energy Global and Japan’s Jera have teamed up to develop a green ammonia project in the Indian state of Odisha. It will have an annual production capacity of around 100,000 tons by 2030, with Jera serving as the offtaker.

Mercom Capital Group says that total corporate solar funding, global venture capital funding, public market financing, and PV mergers and acquisitions all fell year on year in the first quarter of 2024. The sector is still grappling with high interest rates, which Wood Mackenzie says is disproportionately affecting renewables projects.