All News

Bank of China, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and Westpac have provided debt financing to bring the first 400 MW stage of the New England Solar Farm to financial close.

Large swaths of low-cost land: check. Lots of sun and wind: check. The ability to transport green hydrogen cost-effectively to energy importing economies: check. Then you’re in the race to become one of the “renewable energy superpowers” of the low-carbon economy. A growing number of countries are assessing their renewable resources and natural attributes and positioning themselves to become green hydrogen exporters. However, not all are created equal.

Silver demand for PV production worldwide is forecast to grow to 105 million ounces this year, as overall demand hits an eight-year high. Prices for the precious metal could reach a seven-year high of $30.00 per ounce this year but, according to the Silver Institute, this level is still far away from any critical threshold that would make silver supply for the solar industry problematic.

UK-based company Power Roll has picked up £5.8 million in investment over the past six months and plans to begin pilot production this year. The company has developed a unique flexible thin-film technology, which promises to combine both solar generation and storage.

Spanish companies Repsol and Ibil have launched the first charging station for electric vehicles with energy storage. The system reuses batteries from electric buses.

China’s National Energy Administration expects renewables to represent 40% of the nation’s energy consumption by 2030, and proposed new targets for local and regional government authorities. On the manufacturing side, Tongwei and JinkoSolar announced plans to deepen their strategic cooperation, and Huadian Group has launched its first tender this year for 7GW each of modules and inverters.

Bolivian President Luis Arce this week inaugurated the second phase of the Oruru Photovoltaic Solar Plant. Located 3,700 meters above sea level, the plant is believed to be the world’s highest altitude PV installation.

Solar stocks enjoyed a good start in 2021, writes Jesse Pichel of ROTH Capital Partners. In the United States, the Biden administration’s focus on climate change and the expectation of further incentives for renewables saw solar stocks rally in January. The global forecast is also positive, with China and others set for big installation numbers.

Abengoa Innovación has completed the construction of the pilot plant for the Grasshopper project, which is in the commissioning and start-up phase in Seville. The plant will be then transferred to its final location – the Netherlands.