Covid-19 daily bulletin: Indian installations to be delayed by outbreak

The development of more than 3 GW of solar and wind capacity in India will be delayed due to disruptions caused by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, according to a new report by Wood Mackenzie. Unfortunately, the Indian states with the greatest solar and wind potential have also reported the highest coronavirus infection rates.

In a recent chat with pv magazine, Jason Tundermann – vice president of business development at U.S. trading advisory service LevelTen Energy – said that the Covid-19 pandemic might end up having a limited impact on the European market for power purchase agreements. The net value of long-term PPA offers has not fallen dramatically – offering a glimmer of hope to corporate buyers in otherwise grim times.

Research by Green Energy Markets shows that the Australian rooftop PV market remained healthy throughout the first three months of 2020. According to small-scale technology certificate data, more than 300,000 rooftop installations were registered in the first quarter, for a total of close to 250 MW of capacity. And then came Covid-19.

Shunfeng International Clean Energy’s (SFCE) recorded a loss of RMB1.88 billion ($265.2 million) last year, from a RMB1.71 billion loss in 2018, according to its unaudited results for the year to Dec. 31, 2019. And the Chinese group attributed the delay in the auditing process to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

Greece held its last round of renewable energy tenders in Athens last week, resulting in the lowest tariff ever awarded to a renewable energy project in the country. And while the Covid-19 pandemic is a clearly a concern for the Greek economy and its energy sector, companies are stepping up to do their part. State-owned utility Public Power Corp. (PPC), for example, has offered €5 million to purchase medical equipment, while Hellenic Petroleum has donated €8 million to the Greek government to support the country’s pandemic response. Reason for hope in difficult times.