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.

Two facilities were sold along with a 90 MW wind power plant generating the vendor around €700 million. Both solar projects were awarded 20-year PPAs in the most successful auction held by the Brazilian government, in August 2015.

The University of Benin has started the qualifiction stage of the tender for a project that will be developed as a public-private partnership.

The project, planned for the northern department of Atlántico, will compete in the nation’s renewable energy auction next month.