Policy

As one of the most energy-intensive industries, the ‘resource sector’ is getting serious about adding cheap solar and wind energy into its mix, to boost returns. Although still predominantly underpinned by gas or diesel, mine operations are increasingly deploying hybrid solutions, highlighting the potential of renewables – particularly as momentum builds for green hydrogen to play a role in future microgrids.

Talk of ‘grid-parity’ and ‘subsidy-free’ solar has had industry figures cherishing the ideal of a sector that can operate free of the caprices of government but a peer behind the latest global PV funding figures demonstrates just how dependent on policy the solar industry remains.

Two of the nation’s largest commercial fleet operators have pledged to go all-electric by 2030, beating the government’s ambition by a decade, and carmaker Jaguar Land Rover has made a big electrification announcement – but insisted the politicians need to show similar bold ambition.

Thailand’s solar market had ground to a bit of a halt after FITs were cut. Osaka Gas has launched a joint venture with Energy Pro Corporation to market commercial and industrial PV arrays under corporate power purchase agreements.

The nation elected a new government yesterday, awarding a clear majority to the pro-EU New Democracy party. What could that mean for Greece’s solar sector?

The huge site would have to be operational in the opening quarter of 2022 and follows the recent completion of the gigawatt-scale Noor Abu Dhabi site. The successful developer would secure a 40% slice of the Al Dhafra project, under Abu Dhabi rules.

The nation’s annual Economic Survey placed EVs at the heart of India’s decarbonization and called for an industrial hub where electric vehicles and the batteries to run them could be manufactured.

Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy has placed the Australian and Vietnamese solar markets side by side and found the Southeast Asian country left its rival trailing in terms of commissioned utility scale PV capacity. A staggering 4.46 GW of connected PV capacity in Vietnam at the end of June came as a surprise to many.

The energy transition is accelerating, Ernst & Young global energy leader Benoit Laclau has warned grid operators, thanks to the confluence of digitization, decentralization and decarbonization. Traditional utilities must get with the program or be swept aside.

Citing the risk to solar projects, lobby group the National Solar Energy Federation Of India has asked the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to exclude flat steel products coated with alloy of aluminum and zinc from anti-dumping duty.