Policy

A government minister attending the switching-on ceremony appeared to announce a new renewable energy ambition for the South Asian nation.

A response issued by the Ministry of Justice to questions from an MP has revealed anxiety about any official comments on a case which involves a Lithuanian solar developer claiming restitution from the state after it retroactively reduced feed-in tariff payments for clean power in August.

An array of new investment plans were announced in Greece in May, ranging from mega PV projects to battery and electric vehicle production, as well as a move to smart green islands. pv magazine explores the state of these investments and links them to the country’s general policy frameworks – most notably, Greece’s master plan to boost green investments in former lignite regions and establish a new type of economy.

Developer Terna Energy claims the Amphilochia pumped hydroelectric energy storage project has entered the final stretch. If built, the large scale facility can boost Greece’s independence from fossil fuels and the government’s strategy for a coal-free electricity system by 2025.

The investment has been planned as part of the nation’s recovery and resilience plan to access EU funds for its post-Covid economic stimulus package. The spending plans of Portugal and Greece have also been approved by the European Commission in the last 48 hours.

Solar Energy UK today called on the government to provide it with the same kind of support that has been extended to offshore wind companies.

Long distance, point-to-point transport of green hydrogen for industrial use can harness the cheap solar electricity available in some parts of the world but distributing the energy-storage gas to individual refueling stations, for vehicle fuel cell use, will likely have to depend on production nearby.

Such a decision, which industry body the CPIA is adamant has already been announced, could make all the difference to investors struggling with a surge in equipment costs fueled by the polysilicon shortage. The all-important National Energy Administration, however, has yet to confirm whether the CPIA’s interpretation is correct.

Utility DEWA has announced the first 300 MW of the fifth phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be commissioned next month, with the first stage of the fourth phase due to arrive two months later.

A solar array planned in the Tetereane district of Cuamba has been described by its developer as the nation’s first independent power project to feature utility scale storage.