Geopolitics

Germany, in collaboration with Italy, has revealed plans to import hydrogen from Northern Africa.

Human Geographer Thilo Wiertz speaks to pv magazine on the particular features that characterized the trajectory of renewable energies after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. He emphasized how the geopolitical tensions arising from this conflict have reshaped the political debate about the energy transition, with the energy security perspective gaining in importance.

Researchers have looked into the impact of potential regulated charge exemptions on two types of energy communities in 39 European countries. They have found that communities with collectively owned PV systems achieve greater savings.

HDF Energy has expanded its operations to make fuel cells in France. It says it plans to produce green hydrogen infrastructure for low-carbon hydrogen production and non-intermittent renewable electrical power in 30 countries throughout the world.

Germany’s Boreal Light says it has installed a desalination plant in Mykolaiv, Ukraine. It claims that the system – which uses 560 W solar modules to produce 125 cubic meters of clean water per hour – is Europe’s largest PV-powered desalination project.

India and Saudi Arabia have agreed to develop electrical interconnections and low-carbon hydrogen, while Masdar has partnered with Boeing ion the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry.

Warnings about the need to decentralize Ukraine’s electricity grid, made 10 years before the Russian invasion, fell on deaf ears at the time. In the wake of war, nations across Eastern and Central Europe are alive to the risks embodied in traditional energy networks.

Built as a symbol of hope amid disaster, the decision to construct a solar site at Chornobyl may have saved it from the destruction that other power generation facilities suffered during early Russian advances in Ukraine.

BloombergNEF Senior Analyst Jenny Chase and Aurora Energy Research Renewables Lead Rebecca McManus speak with pv magazine about financial market trends for solar companies and the role of overcapacity as a driver of turbulence in the industry.

As part of a new series of articles this summer, pv magazine revisits news from the PV sector of 10 years ago. The insights evoke memories while also providing a glimpse of what the solar landscape could look like in 2030.