Japan

Enapter has secured four new orders for its AEM Nexus 1000 megawatt-class electrolyzer, while Fraunhofer IWU says it has started working on electron beam welding technology to overcome the speed limitations of laser beam scanner welding.

The new products are intended for commercial applications and and multi-dwelling buidlings. They have a size of 20 kW to 30 kW and use R290 as the refrigerant.

Japan’s feed-in tariffs (FITs) for this year will range from JPY 9.5 ($0.06)/kWh to JPY 16/kWh, depending on system size. The Japanese government also says it will hold four more auctions for solar projects above 250 kW this year.

Japan’s Shizen Energy has acquired all shares of renewable contractors juwi Shizen Energy and juwi Shizen Energy Operation, its two joint venture companies with Germany’s Juwi GmbH.

Japan has allocated 134 MW of PV capacity in its latest procurement exercise. The lowest bid for a 19 MW solar project came in at JPY 0.00/kWh, surprisingly, while other bids ranged from JPY 4.94 ($0.03)/kWh to JPY 6.98/kWh.

Mitsui and MAN say they have converted a gas injection engine to hydrogen for the maritime industry, while 3M and HD Hyundai Korea Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (KSOE) have agreed to develop large liquid hydrogen storage tanks.

Conceived for residential, commercial, and industrial applications, the Hydrolution PRO heat pump has a coefficient of performance of up to 3.47 and a seasonal coefficent of performance of up to 4.59. It uses difluoromethane (R32) as the refrigerant.

Leapton says its new panels have a temperature coefficient of -0.30% per C and an efficiency of up to 22.65%. They come with a 30-year power output guarantee for 87.4% of the initial yield.

PV Expo Tokyo 2024, Japan’s main solar industry event, has concluded with record numbers, innovative products, and new trends. Storage auctions and new rules for power purchase agreements (PPAs) are driving the market to new spaces, as project developers scramble for land to build on, while lightweight plastic modules continue to gain prominence.

OCI has agreed to supply polysilicon to Toyo Solar, the cell production subsidiary of VSun Solar, in order to support wafer production.