Scientists concentrate on efficient hydrogen production
Researchers from the Laboratory of Renewable Energy Science and Engineering at Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne have developed a device which they say could “provide a pathway for device scalability aimed towards the large scale deployment of photo-electrochemical hydrogen production”.
Labor plan to aggregate 4,000 schools into virtual power plants in $1 billion solar program
Australia’s federal Labor party has pledged to roll out PV generation and batteries at schools across the nation, and to create VPPs supporting up to 365 MW of capacity.
Dhaka water authority re-tenders plans for 12 MW solar plant
Plans are back on track for what the authority intends to be the first of many solar installations, after potential bidders complained in January that the proposed contract was not viable.
Fotowatio starts commercial operations at latest Jordan project
The Saudi-owned developer has announced an ambition to have installed 5.8 GW of renewables capacity by 2024 and took a small step in that direction with its 66.7 MW Al Safawi Solar Plant.
Mexico announces plans for 13 GW of new generation capacity – but no renewables in sight
The energy program will initially relate to combined cycle gas power plants with a capacity of 2.76 GW. No mention was made in electric utility CFE’s official statement of the possibility of increasing capacity by harnessing renewables.
Jinko announces 5 GW wafer factory and 10.7 GW of module supply deals
The new manufacturing facility will be located in Leshan, in China’s Sichuan province and will produce monocrystalline wafers. It will raise the group’s wafer capacity to around 11.5 GW. Meanwhile, large supply deals are said to have come from markets including Vietnam, Mexico and Spain.
Longi outlines aggressive expansion plans as annual figures are released
The world’s number one monosilicon module maker is not intending to give up its crown any time soon, and has announced further plans to expand its already huge annual production capacities for ingots, wafers, cells and modules.
Renewable energy will surpass coal in the US this month and next
The volume of U.S. electricity generated by renewable energy is set to surpass the level sourced from coal for the first time this month and the trend is expected to continue in May, according to Department of Energy data.
ACWA Power and Shanghai Electric deepen Belt and Road commitment
The two power companies, who worked together on the 700 MW concentrating solar power phase of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, have reportedly agreed to develop power generation and desalination projects along the route of China’s new Silk Road.
Indian developer Azure Power commissions 150 MW project at the Bhadla Solar Park
The independent power producer now has 1.6 GW of operational solar assets. Other recently commissioned Azure projects include the final phase of a 260 MW solar project in Gujarat and a 100 MW facility in Karnataka.
