Interview: after Saudi Arabia, how low can solar prices go?
The recent Saudi Arabian tender for 300 MW of solar PV saw a bid of $0.0178/kWh – the lowest price by far yet seen globally. Aymen Grira of French energy consultancy Altran discusses this bid, and explores the wider PV potential of the MENA region.
Saudi Arabia’s 300 MW solar tender may conclude with lowest bid ever
A consortium formed by UAE-based Masdar and French energy giant EDF has offered to deploy all the tendered capacity at a LCOE of 0.06697 SAR ($0.0178) per kWh. In addition, seven of the eight bids were under $0.03 per kWh. The tender’s bidders will be announced by the end of January 2018.
KAUST researchers develop single crystal perovskites
A team of researchers from Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and Oxford University has developed a process which uses the effects of surface tension to grow highly pure perovskite crystals at centimeter scale.
Jordan: financing for 51 MW PV plant secured; country’s largest solar plant of 103 MW built
Jordan continues to send the world positive solar PV news and updates. pv magazine examines the latest PV developments in the Middle Eastern country.
New combination of elements a positive step forwards for KAUST solar centre and Solar panels
Perovskite research sees an unexpected improvement, as a result of research from Saudi Arabia’s KAUST (King Abdullah University of Science and Technology) solar centre, improving the quality and efficiency of the potential of solar panels.
Bahrain’s run to sun begins with 255 MW plan
The new plan was announced by the government of the small country island at STEEB 2017, its first ever solar event that is currently taking place in Manama.
Shanghai Electric, ACWA to build 700 MW CSP plant phase four of Raschid al-Maktum solar park
A consortium consisting of Chinese Shanghai Electric and Saudi ACWA Power has bagged an order to build a 700 MW CSP plant, the fourth phase of the 1 GW Mohammed bin Raschid al-Maktum solar park located in the Dubai Desert.
Jordan: Sahara Forest Project using solar to turn desert into vegetated spaces
Project funded in part by EU and Norwegian government allows project to thrive using a smart mixture of solar power, salt water, irrigation and smart technologies.
Ingeteam to supply 1.17 GW of inverters to Abu Dhabi’s Sweihan PV project
The agreement will see the Spanish central inverter specialist ship its 1,000 Vdc Ingecon Sun PowerMax B series inverters to Sterling and Wilson, the EPC overseeing the construction of the Sweihan solar plant, which will be the world’s largest single-site solar park once complete.
Turkey adds 553 MW of solar in H1 2017
The country’s cumulative installed PV capacity has now surpassed 1.5 GW, while another 500 MW is expected to be installed by the end of 2017.
