Hanergy announces plan for 1 GW manufacturing facility in Saudi
The thin-film manufacturer this week signed an agreement with a clothing brand to develop a $1 billion solar thin film industrial park. No details have emerged yet as to how it will be funded or where exactly it will be based.
FIT cuts and lower revenue may cause more bankruptcies in Japan
A Teikoku Databank report says as many as 95 solar companies went bankrupt last year – seven more than in 2017. The company warns the negative trend that began in 2016 may escalate as FIT reductions for large-scale solar come into effect.
Australian senate: Don’t leave us in the slow lane for EV uptake
Federal and state governments need to do a whole lot more to help the transition to electric vehicles, says the senate, after poll results indicated strong popular backing for the switch from fossil fuel transport.
Taiwan’s URE inks 200-300 MW module supply MoU
United Renewable Energy was the result of a troublesome year for Taiwan’s solar manufacturing market. The company has signed a memorandum of understanding with Asia’s largest independent power producer – Vena Energy – for the supply of modules for projects in Taiwan’s strong development sector.
Bifacial 114 MW project in Brazil secures development bank financing
The plant, under development by Canadian Solar, has secured $80 million from Banco do Nordeste. The facility is scheduled to come online in mid-2020.
UK government offering little encouragement to the solar sector says the industry
A conference in London explored the next steps for renewables in the U.K. There was widespread agreement solar has been left in the cold by a government unwilling to alter the current market dynamics.
Risen Energy completes 40 MW solar project in Kazakhstan
Since 2012, Kazakhstan has shown increased interest in its energy transition and put in place supportive regulations. The country lies in the path of China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ initiative, which unlocks large-scale infrastructure investments.
Debunking the low-cost nuclear myth
An article published in the FT this week was right to point out that pricing new energy capacity involves more than just comparing strike prices, but if you are in the business of calculating real costs, do it properly. For nuclear in particular, that’s a case of ‘in for a penny, in for (several) pounds’.
Italian renewables fund targets €250m more investment by 2021
The acquisition of an 85 MW, three-project solar portfolio by the Tages Helios fund illustrates the confidence investors have in Italian renewables, and fund managers are optimistic about the sector as they bid to expand into wind power as well as PV.
Uranium provider GoviEx goes solar
The Canadian company is planning to build a 20 MW hybrid diesel-solar power plant at the Madaouela mining site near Arlit, in northern central Niger. The project will be developed by Canadian independent power producer Windiga Energy.
