Adding solar to offshore wind
Scientists in the Netherlands conducted a feasibility study for adding floating solar to a planned 752 MW offshore wind installation in the North Sea. The study finds that the two could realistically share a single connection to an onshore grid, with minimal curtailment as well as technical and economic benefits for both technologies.
Hanwha Q Cells secures 300 MW order for 2.1 GW floating complex in South Korea
The Korean manufacturer was chosen as a preferred bidder for a portion of the Saemangeum solar complex. The company will likely supply its special panels for floating PV for the project.
Korean poly maker’s figures dragged down by idled production lines
The Covid-19 pandemic helped ensure chemicals business OCI could not put its idled polysilicon lines in Gunsan back into use last year, as had been hoped, prompting another hefty assets impairment which weighed on the group even as it expects supply of the raw material to be kept tight by rising demand.
Italian sovereign wealth fund joins forces with Eni to deploy 1 GW of solar and wind
Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Equity and the Italian energy giant have created a joint venture that will invest around €800 million in renewables in their homeland by 2025. The two companies are planning to build large scale plants with the option of utilizing properties owned by the Italian government.
Solar mini-grid to protect Austrian highway from blackouts
The Austrian motorway company Asfinag is planning to power, with solar-plus-storage, all its maintenance facilities. These installations are planned to power the stations at night and in the event of a grid failure.
Poland hits 4 GW milestone
The Polish grid operator connected 2.63 GW of PV capacity in 2020, while newly installed capacity surpassed 150 MW in January 2021.
Portuguese authorities review 1 GW solar project with Tesla batteries
A newly proposed solar project in Portugal could almost double the nation’s installed PV capacity. The installation will likely require an investment of around €1 billion.
Hosting capacity maps: A gold mine for solar developers
Multiple U.S. states require electric utilities to share their power grid data with solar developers. The resulting tools are like treasure maps for solar developers.
Australian port to host massive PV array, hydrogen plant
London-based Eco Energy World plans to combine a 300 MW solar project in Australia with a 200 MW hydrogen plant and 100 MW of energy storage to export green hydrogen to the global market.
Mongolia has first smart grid management system installed–from the UK
Covid-19 border closures meant the first ‘active network management’ system was planned and commissioned for the Asian nation by the U.K. division of Saudi-owned smart grid specialist ZIV Automation.
