Australian coal generator undercut by rooftop solar boom
The authorities in Western Australia have revealed that two units at Synergy’s Muja Power Station will be retired from October 2022. The state government said the coal-fired units were only being used about 35% of the time, largely because rooftop solar has reduced demand on the grid.
Bord na Móna seeks EPC contractor for 90 MW PV project in Ireland
The wind power specialist has started prequalifying EPCs for the ground-mounted solar plant, which will be built near Timahoe North, County Kildare.
Windlab starts Australian PV-wind-battery park following grid delay
Australian renewables developer Windlab has connected and energized its landmark energy park in northern Queensland, comprising 43 MW of wind, 18 MW of solar and a 4 MWh battery.
Armenia to tender five more large-scale solar projects
The projects will be tendered under single-round competitive bidding processes, supervised by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development.
France allocates 858 MW in PV tender
The average price guaranteed to the winners of the tender’s sixth window is €64/MWh. For installations above 5 MW, the price is €59.50/MWh, which is higher than the fifth window.
Qatari utility mulls jump to 800 MW tender as consortia submit bids
A consortium led by Jinko Power and Korea Electric Power Corp., as well as another group led by Japanese conglomerate Marubeni and French energy group Total, have submitted bids for Qatar’s 700 MW solar tender. The final results will be announced in September.
Metito wins 45-55 MW Bangladesh project with $0.07/kWh bid
A consortium led by Metito Utilities, JinkoPower and Al Jomaih Energy and Water has won a tender to build a 45-55 MW grid-tied solar plant with a bid of $0.0749/kWh — the lowest ever seen in Bangladesh.
Don’t have a node for your solar plant? Connect it to the railway!
Railway operators can now feasibly connect solar plants to traction substations, claims a consortium that is now working on a similar demonstration project in the U.K. Almost all of the 30 kW installation’s output will be used to move trains, but in the future storage could come into the picture for larger “railway-connected” solar power projects, says 10:10, the U.K.-based climate change charity that developed the pilot.
Economics of road transport starting to favor renewables
According to a new report by BNP Paribas Asset Management, renewables offer more advantages than simply mitigating climate change. Electricity is easier to transport than oil, and wind and solar electricity prices are much more stable than volatile oil prices. An analyst from the French bank argues that major producers will need to reduce oil prices below $20 to compete with clean energy in the transport sector.
Renovalia nails financing for Spain’s first merchant PV project
The €29.7 million financing package was awarded by Banco Sabadell. Renovalia’s 79.2 MW solar park will be Spain’s first PV facility to sell all of its output on the spot market.
