Finance

Three of Taiwan’s largest solar cell and module manufacturers – Gintech, Neo Solar Power and Solartech – will suspend common stock transactions next week, prompting rumors that a merger between the three firms could be on the cards.

160,000 units have been sold to date by the company, which includes 90,000 Solar TVs. 62.5 million hours per month of kerosene-free lighting will be provided, which estimates calculate will save over 600,000 tones of CO2 over a period of four years.

French banking group BNP Paribas has announced a series of measures to support the energy transition, including a pledge to cease all business with companies primarily involved in shale gas, tar sands oil and Arctic exploration for oil. The group also plans to increase its total financing for renewable energy projects to €15 billion by 2020.

British firm to invest AU$64 million to acquire assets being developed in Queensland by Canadian Solar.

Mercom Capital’s latest report shows relatively robust funding for solar globally but a slowdown in the United States due to the Section 201 investigation.

Diego Biasi, CEO of British investment firm Quercus, talks to pv magazine about the company’s plans to develop a 600 MW solar farm in Iran, which will not only be one of the biggest PV plants in the world but a seismic solar development for both the MENA region and Iran.

The EIB has also confirmed that it will provide $940 million in financial support for Indian renewable Energy.

The recent Saudi Arabian tender for 300 MW of solar PV saw a bid of $0.0178/kWh – the lowest price by far yet seen globally. Aymen Grira of French energy consultancy Altran discusses this bid, and explores the wider PV potential of the MENA region.

The Clean Energy Finance Corp. (CEFC) has revealed plans to provide A$98 million ($77.05 million) in debt finance to back the development of the biggest biggest solar project in the Australian state of Victoria.

It is expected that more and more Indian developers will be listed on IPOs in the coming years as an effective means to raise the equity for new power projects.