Middle East

Caterpillar-branded SunPower modules will be available in Southeast Asia, Africa, South America, and the Middle East – but not yet the United States.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) yesterday unveiled details for Lebanon’s first Green Economy Financing Facility (GEFF), the largest thus far in the bank’s Southern and Eastern Mediterranean region (SEMED). The GEFF program is set to address key issues of energy security, efficiency and sustainability for the Middle Eastern country.

Prime minister has announced a tough new renewable energy target, which will build on the current ambition of generating 12% of the nation’s electricity and heat from renewables in little over a year’s time.

The Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA) has announced it will expand Phase IV of the 5 GW Mohammed bin Rashid Maktoum Solar Park by another 250 MW. The power utility has also revealed that the PPA with the project developer, local energy giant ACWA Power has been amended, and that the new PV portion of Phase IV, which originally included only a 700 MW CSP power plant planned to sell power at $0.073/kWh, will sell power at a tariff of $0.024/kWh. This price equals that of a 1.17 GW solar project currently under construction in Abu Dhabi.

The inverter maker took number one spot in the US from SMA this year, and acquired majority stakes and IP in uninterrupted power supply company Gamatronic and storage system provider Kokam. While other companies have consolidated, SolarEdge managed to report robust results.

State owned oil company Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) has awarded an independent power producer contract for a 100 MW solar project to a consortium led by Japanese conglomerate Marubeni. Once constructed, the plant will power PDO’s operations in Oman under a 23-year PPA.

The German PV equipment manufacturer has signed two letters of intent (LoI) for joint ventures with companies from Saudi Arabia at the Future Investment Initiative (FII) Forum. The company declined to comment on the current political situation.

EDF Renewables has commissioned five PV plants in Israel totaling 101 MW, thus bringing its total solar capacity in the country to nearly 300 MW.

Dubai’s ENOC announced it has completed the construction of a rooftop solar array on its lubricants manufacturing plant in Dubai. The array can cover the complete power demand of the factory. This is not the first time the oil company has turned its head towards solar PV to power its facilities. Already nine petrol stations are equipped with solar canopies for 100% green energy supply, with the company vowing to equip all future petrol stations with such canopies.

Thin-film manufacturer says its skyscraper product, which can be retrofitted, will open up a new BIPV marketplace – but spokesman sidesteps question of whether Trump’s solar duties will apply in the US.