Middle East

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.

The Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA) has issued a tender for the construction of a hydrogen plant and associated facilities at the huge solar complex. In June, a pilot storage project based on NGK’s NAS Batteries was also launched at the facility.

The inverter maker will buy 75% of Kokam’s shares for $88 million, with an intent to acquire the remainder shortly after, on the open market. Strategic company acquisitions and close partnerships are characterizing this year’s inverter market, as companies seek to diversify and integrate storage systems and other technologies.