Nepal wants more hybrid wind-solar and needs information on prices
Through three tenders, Nepal’s Alternative Energy Promotion Center is increasing efforts to bring power to rural communities, and to increase the share of renewables in a nation still dominated by hydropower.
Interview: CellCube president Stefan Schauss on Brexit’s impact on the British storage industry
Vanadium redox flow battery supplier Cellcube spoke to pv magazine about the latest political developments in the U.K. and what the effects on storage could be.
Ethiopia launches a tender for 800 MW of solar across four states
The nation’s Ministry of Finance is tendering six large-scale projects in Afar, Somali, Oromia and Tigray. The plants will be developed under a public-private partnership framework and their construction is expected to raise around $795 million.
Bangladesh prepares plans for two floating solar plants
Backing from the Asian Development Bank will help a 50 MW project get off the ground – and onto the water – in Chittagong, and a developer has been lined up to install solar on a stretch of the Padma river.
Energytrend: Stockpiles down, utilization and prices recovering
The Taiwanese market research company has published its latest price trend data for PV modules, cells, wafers and silicon. Across the value chain, rising demand is causing stockpiles to dwindle and utilization rates to rise. Prices are rising in China as well as for high-efficiency products. Module prices have stabilized.
China installed 43.6 GW of solar last year – despite 5/31 New Policy
Central subsidies may have been cut back but the domestic market rebounded quickly and overseas shipments soared on the back of rising production volumes and ever cheaper module prices.
Kaco sells central inverter business to Korean developer OCI Power
German concern Kaco has sold its central inverter business. The German manufacturer hopes to focus on its string inverter and energy storage branches while the South Korean buyer hopes the newly acquired knowhow can improve the energy efficiency of its large-scale PV parks.
Enel sells Brazilian PV plants totaling 450 MW to China’s CGNEI
Two facilities were sold along with a 90 MW wind power plant generating the vendor around €700 million. Both solar projects were awarded 20-year PPAs in the most successful auction held by the Brazilian government, in August 2015.
Pakistan regulator reviews 50 MW PV proposal, armed forces seek 26 MW
Pakistani regulator NEPRA is considering a tariff for a 49.5 MW site in the Khyber district. At the same time, the country’s armed forces are eyeing PV deployment for their operations.
MENA PV additions quadrupled in 2018
As anticipated, 2018 was a pivotal year for PV installations in Middle East and North Africa, writes Josefin Berg, Research and Analysis Manager at IHS Markit. Our end-of-year estimates show that approximately 3.6 GW of PV systems were installed in the region in 2018, compared to less than 1 GW in 2017.
