Israel may lift land restrictions for large-scale solar
Policymakers in Israel are trying to create better conditions for large-scale solar projects. Land for ground-mounted facilities is still limited to 2,000 hectares, which equals 2 GW of installed capacity.
Contractor kicks off tender for 7 MW of solar in Lebanon
DT Global, a US-based development firm, is seeking engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors to build a PV plant with 5 MW to 7 MW of capacity in Lebanon.
Turkey sets minimum price for solar cell imports
The Turkish government has set a minimum import price of $60/kg, so solar cell imports exceeding this threshold will be subject to import duties. The measure is designed to protect domestic cell manufacturers.
DEWA to procure R&D solar module production line
The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) may install a new R&D production line in its solar R&D center at the massive 5 GW Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.
Turkey aims to produce hydrogen at $2.40/kg by 2035
Turkey has released a hydrogen roadmap as part of its plans to meet its 2035 net-zero emission targets, hinging on solar energy and importing electrolysis technologies in the short term. Gulmira Rzayeva, research fellow at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies, says this target is realistic.
Key takeaways from Abu Dhabi’s World Future Energy Summit
The World Future Energy Summit showed that Middle Eastern solar markets are still driven by utility-scale PV, although the C&I sector shows signs of growth. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates are the most promising markets for big solar projects, with huge pipelines under development, while Lebanon and Yemen show promise due to chronic energy shortages.
Assessing vibrations in solar modules due to robot cleaning
Qatari researchers have looked at the degree to which cleaning robots could threaten the physical integrity of solar panels. They found that cleaning machines have a very minimal impact and that modules of similar sizes tend to exhibit roughly the same amount of vibration.
Solar Wadi launches tender for 100 MW PV plant in Oman
Omani developer Solar Wadi is seeking engineering, procurement and construction contractors to build a planned PV project in Sohar Industrial City, Oman.
UAE utility opens bidding for 1.5 GW of solar
Emirates Water and Electricity Co. (EWEC) has started accepting expressions of interest from pre-qualified developers to develop a 1.5 GW solar project in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates.
Solar proves common thread among Zayed Sustainability Prize winners
The opening ceremony of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week 2023 was not short of inspirational rhetoric, but the winners of the Zayed Sustainability Prize provided some real-world examples of what action on the local level really looks like.
