Finance

The Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and auctusESG say in a new report that scaling up financing for renewable energy assets such as solar minigrids depends on the combination of private and public capital in a risk-adjusted return structure.

Investors and developers raised more than $34.3 billion in 160 deals last year, according to a new report by Mercom Capital.

The European Commission has warned about the potential impact of trade measures on Europe’s renewable energy rollout, but has shied away from outlining emergency measures to address the continent’s solar manufacturing crisis.

With United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak appearing to have decided green policy, or rather, anti-green policy should be used to rally voters to his party’s bid for re-election this year – and with the opposition Labour party vacillating over a promise to spend £28 billion ($35 billion) per year on green investment – Adam Swarbrick, of RWE Renewables UK, gives an update on the prospects for United Kingdom solar.

Greece’s Public Power Corp. (PPC) has secured funding for the construction of a 550 MW solar plant at a former lignite mine. The state-owned utility says that, upon completion, the plant will cover almost 2.5% of domestic electricity generation.

Effective Feb. 1, the UK government has exempted retrofitted battery energy storage systems (BESS) from the 20% value added tax (VAT).

Dutch startup LionVolt has acquired AMTE Power’s battery cell production line in Scotland. It says it will use the assets for pilot production of its 3D solid-state thin-film batteries.

The Moldovan government is preparing to launch the country’s first renewables auctions, which will seek to procure 105 MW of wind and 60 MW of solar projects. The tenders will take place between April and July.

Reel, a spinoff of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), has raised €5 million ($5.4 million) of seed capital to enhance its products and expand internationally. It is offering customized fixed price contracts to businesses based on solar and wind power purchase agreements (PPAs).

The Serbian Ministry of Mining and Energy has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Chinese companies Shanghai Fengling Renewables and Serbia Zijin Copper. It envisages the construction of 1.5 GW wind and 500 MW of solar projects alongside a green hydrogen production facility with 30,000 tons of annual output.