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.
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.
PERC cell efficiency records tumble
Chinese manufacturers Risen Energy and LONGi have both announced conversion efficiency records for PERC cells as the twin quest to drive down costs and increase energy output shows no sign of abating.
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.
Green power certificates and curtailment will be key to China’s grid parity solar ambition
Analysts have welcomed the measures ushered in by Beijing to encourage the development of PV projects without central subsidies, but with the obstacles the policy aims to address having dogged Chinese solar for years, more detail is required.
Solar investment slid on the back of cheaper modules and China setback
The world again saw more than $300 billion of clean energy investment in 2018, according to BloombergNEF, and although wind narrowed the gap on solar, plunging module prices skewed the figures as PV capacity additions rose 10 GW.
Cepsa and Masdar ink agreement for 600 MW of renewables in Iberia
The energy companies have signed a partnership agreement to expand their portfolios on the Iberian peninsula. Spain and Portugal have ambitious decarbonization plans requiring large capacities of renewable energy resources in the years to come. Spain’s PV market could reach 6 GW this year.
Hanergy welcomes latest policy noises to come out of Beijing
The thin-film manufacturer and project developer says the Chinese government’s package of measures to drive subsidy-free solar projects will ensure a proliferation of new capacity additions and consolidate the strength of big players like itself.
