Middle East

The United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) energy minister has presented the country’s new energy strategy at the World Future Energy Summit (WFES). Dubai appears to be the most active of the seven emirates comprising the country.

BYD has announced plans for major expansion in the Middle East region, including the construction of a 200 MW PV power plant. The project is expected to feature a storage application and aims to raise the company’s profile in the region.

Speaking yesterday at an Abu Dhabi’s Sustainability Week (ADSW) event, Saudi Arabia’s energy, industry and mineral resources minister Khalid Al-Falih announced a new grand energy plan for the country.

Construction of the mega 800 MW phase 3 of the Mohammed bin Rashid Maktoum Solar Park is set to commence at the end of the month, after a consortium led by GranSolar was chosen as the EPC contractor on the project, which, once completed, will be the largest solar plant on a single plot.

An emerging topic in today’s discussions for renewable energy is the extent to which decentralized structures of energy replace the old centralized systems. pv magazine captures the debate.

The German solar module manufacturer has received the license for up to 100 MW of solar modules, and is one of the few international companies to receive such a license, after the Turkish government put strict limits on PV module imports in an attempt to develop its domestic market.

The Saudi Arabian power group and the Jordanian government have agreed to build the project in the eastern province of Risha by the first quarter of 2019.

The German battery manufacturer was chosen by the prize as the winner in the small & medium enterprise category. Sonnen CEO Christop Ostermann received the US$1.5 million award at the opening ceremony of the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi.

Solar PV’s dynamism stems from its ability to take on different forms. An emerging application for the technology is seawater desalination using electricity generated through solar PV.

The Israeli manufacturer today announced that it has completed the retrofitting of its robotic cleaning technology to the 40 MW Ketura solar plant in southern Israel.