Markets

The carve-up of debt ridden LDK Solar continued with the disclosure yesterday that the British Virgin Islands-registered Fulai Investments Ltd has paid US$31.1 million for a 12% stake in the ailing Chinese manufacturer.

With 4.4 GW of new solar projects expected to be announced in India in 2013, only around 1.1 GW will be online by the end of the year, according to consultants Bridge to India.

With the UK government under fire as opponents of its Energy Bill claim it is biased towards nuclear and gas at the expense of renewables, new research could make interesting reading for Tory Chancellor George Osborne.

The impact of plunging PV prices throughout 2012 has been graphically illustrated with the release of full-year figures by global technology giant Bosch.

Conergy has announced that it has completed three 500 kW projects in Greece. Conergy was the main contractor on two of the plants and supplied components to the third.

German photovoltaic developer juwi has begun construction on a project that will see five solar parks, with a combined capacity of 48 MW, developed in Thailand. The solar power plants will be equipped to deal with floods, such as those that took place in Thailand in 2011.

A group of British “solar and construction companies” has announced its intention to claim £140 million (US$222 million) in damages against the government of its handling of reductions to the solar FIT in 2011 and 2012.

Following a presidential campaign during which climate change was acknowledged only with respect to how the severe weather might affect the candidates’ schedules for the day, sustainable energy finally featured prominently in Barack Obama’s 15 minute inaugural Speech on Monday, January 21. The address was delivered in front of close to 750,000 Americans on the National Mall in Washington, DC.