Germany installed 2.75 GW of PV in first half of 2021
In June alone, new PV systems totaling 430 MW were connected to the German grid. The country’s cumulative operational PV capacity reached 55.3 GW at the end of June.
Bidders plan to use ‘brown power’ to balance intermittency of solar in Singapore’s clean power tender
Solar developer NEFIN and electric company Tuas Power have tabled a joint bid to secure the rights to supply 100 MWh of ‘zero-carbon electricity’ from Malaysia to Singapore and said they initially intend to use “brown power” to secure supply during non-solar-generation hours.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Longi leapfrogs Jinko for first-half module shipments
There is also news of a 1.1 GW central inverter procurement contract, a pending IPO for solar cell player Runergy, and a $700 million-plus solar glass supply contract.
The Hydrogen Stream: GCL will use Ethiopian natural gas to feed its ammonia and blue hydrogen
Plus there is news this week of a green hydrogen tie-up in India, plans for another German production facility, and of new hydrogen transport networks for Switzerland and the U.S.
Mining giant unveils AU$73m solar-plus-storage project
Mining giant BHP has taken another step on the path towards a renewable energy future, commissioning a 48.2 MW solar-plus-storage hybrid power facility that will help power its Nickel West mining operations in regional Western Australia.
First Solar plans a 3.3 GW Indian module fab
The U.S.-based manufacturer is planning a vertically integrated thin-film solar module manufacturing facility in India. The factory will likely be built in Tamil Nadu and become operational in the second half of 2023.
Acme Solar raises $334 million via offshore green bonds
Indian developer Acme Solar’s green bonds were oversubscribed by over three times, and will support it financing twelve projects for a combined 450MW (or 605 MWp) of its operational assets in India.
Spanish solar projects secure €68m credit lines
Seven PV plants being planned by Solaria have received direct backing from the European Investment Bank, with the EU lender also the source of a €14 million loan to Natixis which will be passed on to the Spanish developer.
UK power generation in 2020: Renewables up to 43%
Solar contributed 28% of the U.K.’s total renewable energy generation, which was dominated by wind power. The proportion of fossil fuels in the energy mix fell to a record low last year, at 37.7%.
CATL claims to have made sodium-ion batteries a commercial reality
The manufacturer has launched sodium-ion products online. Production has begun and will be easily scalable, according to the CATL chairman. Researchers have been keen to make the technology work as it offers a cheaper, more environmentally friendly alternative to lithium-ion products.
