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According to Spanish financial newspaper Cinco Días, UAE-based Abdul Latif Jameel Energy is trying to sell Spanish developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), which it acquired just four years ago. Although FRV has decided not to comment on the matter, market sources believe that reports of its impending sale could simply be an attempt to gauge investor appetite.

The global PV market will probably grow by as much as 25% in 2019, after sagging to a double-digit rate of expansion last year, with annual capacity additions likely to hit 129 GW, IHS Markit says in a new report.

The fifth round (Ronda 4) of the RenovAr program for large-scale solar and renewables will be held by the end of the year, according to the Argentinean Minister of Renewable Energy, Sebastián Kind. The procurement exercise will also include grid infrastructure projects.

French power group Engie has started up its first minigrid installation in Zambia, while also announcing plans to expand Fenix, its PV home system unit for the African market. It did not disclose the specifications or size of the minigrid system. 

Saft, a subsidiary of French oil giant Total, is joining forces with Chinese storage specialist Tianneng to grow in China’s energy storage and EV markets. Tianneng will take a 60% stake in the newly created joint venture, with Saft holding the other 40%.

The company — which owns a 100 MW solar panel factory in Zaanstad, in the Dutch province of North Holland — is seeking to implement a restart under controlled administration. It cited delays in the delivery of production equipment and a working capital deficit as the main reasons for the insolvency proceedings.

The global market for solar trackers expanded by 20% in 2018, with total international shipments spiking 36% year-on-year to surpass the 20 GW mark, according to a new report by Wood Mackenzie. NEXTracker and Array Technologies maintained their industry dominance, but a number of smaller competitors claimed a greater share of the global market in the 12 months to the end of December than ever before.

After listing shares on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange last week, Chinese inverter maker Ginlong now plans to increase its production capacity in the 2019-20 period. The company also plans to develop marketing networks and R&D centers in multiple overseas markets.

SUSI Partners has bought a 50% stake in Macquarie Capital’s 63 MW / 340 MWh distributed energy storage portfolio in Southern California. Included as part of this purchase is the world’s largest virtual power plant.

Although the National Energy Administration (NEA) held a seminar to talk about the development of the 13th five-year plan last November, a positive signal for domestic demand, the Chinese government still has not released new official targets for solar, as of February 2019.