The Baltic nation installed 90 MW of PV last year, four times more than it had done since it began adopting solar. The growth was down to a new regulation issued by the government in June and the big push came mainly from small installations.

The 25-year agreement relates to a 6 MW solar plant that will meet up to 4% of the electricity demand of a facility owned by the Arabian Cement Company, in Egypt’s Suez governorate. The project is being financed by local bank QNB AlAhli under the EBRD’s Green Economy Program.

From Friday, Romanian homeowners and businesses may file applications for rebates that could cover up to 90% of the cost of rooftop arrays, provided the grant does not exceed $4,830. Applications will be accepted until March 1.

The world’s biggest solar market reached a cumulative installed PV capacity of 174.63 GW at the end of last year.

The European Commission said the subsidy scheme to be adopted for the project is in line with the EU state aid rules. The 40-year old Fessenheim nuclear plant has faced several safety issues over the decades.

The European Commission says renewables are playing a central role in lowering spot prices and stopping rises in network charges and fees. In the EU energy market, however, coal and gas still dominate, ensuring power prices are unpredictable.

Through three tenders, Nepal’s Alternative Energy Promotion Center is increasing efforts to bring power to rural communities, and to increase the share of renewables in a nation still dominated by hydropower.

The nation’s Ministry of Finance is tendering six large-scale projects in Afar, Somali, Oromia and Tigray. The plants will be developed under a public-private partnership framework and their construction is expected to raise around $795 million.

The 20 MW solar project will be located on the hydroelectric reservoir at Lazer in the Hautes-Alpes, next to the Saint-Sauveur dam.