Hard times for french PV module maker Photowatt
According to French financial newspaper Les Echos, EDF, the main shareholder of PhotoWatt, is considering closing the production in Bourgoin-Jallieu. The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional council is mobilizing to save the company and announces that a regional company may acquire the module manufacturer.
South Korea wants to deploy another 2.1 GW of floating PV by 2030
The country’s Ministry of Environment has revealed that five dams have already been identified for a total of 147 MW of projects. The new target is part of South Korea’s plan to become carbon-neutral by 2050.
Six new ways to boost battery energy density
Scientists in the UK developed a model to explain one of the challenges to harnessing an oxygen-redox reaction in certain cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Based on their improved understanding of the reaction, they suggest several possible routes for further research to avoid the unwanted reactions and develop reversible, high energy density cathode materials.
Cleaning robot for floating PV
A cleaning robot optimized for floating PV installations was developed by German manufacturer TG hyLIFT. Also suitable for ground-mount PV, it uses only water without any type of detergent, and is powered by batteries. The robot is now being tested at a floating PV array in Spain.
Australia to support battery production with $1.2 billion funding initiative
Lithium-ion battery manufacturer Energy Renaissance has welcomed a new AUD 1.5 billion ($1.2 billion) Australian government initiative to boost processing of critical minerals for batteries, solar panels, and wind turbines.
US government pumps $115 million into clean energy R&D for small businesses
Funds from the latest part of the Biden administration’s Build Back Better pledge will go to grid modernization, carbon removal, renewable energy, and energy storage, among other technologies.
Indian-Irish partnership to produce green hydrogen
Ireland’s Fusion Fuel Green has agreed to set up a demonstrator plant in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu to generate cost-competitive green hydrogen.
Chinese PV Industry Brief: Increasing polysilicon prices and new supply deals
PV Infolink reported a considerable increase in prices for polysilicon and wafer prices for last week. Both products saw their average price increase by over 9% compared to the previous week.
Dutch startup develops offshore floating PV platform
Dutch startup SolarDuck has developed a triangular structure for floating PV that resembles an offshore oil platform. CEO Koen Burgers told pv magazine that it keeps panels more than 3 meters above the water surface, and claimed that the structure can handle waves and dynamic loads. It will be used in a Dutch pilot project from April.
Spain joins the gigafactory race
SEAT and Iberdrola are planning to build an EV battery manufacturing facility in Barcelona with the support of the Spanish government.
