Netherlands

European markets: Growth in solar installations returned to European shores in 2017, with some of the usual suspects posting big numbers, and several new players awakening to the possibilities of PV. Here, pv magazine provides an overview of the latest movements on the continent.

The project is being developed by Solarcentury and Encavis, who are working on what they claim is the “largest [PV] farm” in the Netherlands, near the city of Eindhoven.

The glass-glass PV module manufacturer will install a new production line at its facility in The Hague thanks to new funds provided by the government of the region of South Holland, and Dutch banking giants ING and ABN Amro.

Energyra promises to be a lot of things: the first module maker to bring production back to the Netherlands; a manufacturer relying entirely on Made in Europe equipment and Dutch back contact solar cell technology; and a start-up betting on quality, innovation, automation, as well as high performance modules. pv magazine visited the company’s factory in Zaanstad, to get more detail on this ambitious project.

The Spanish power provider developed the pilot project with the Institut de Recerca en Energia de Catalunya and German spin-off Ineratec. Meanwhile, the European Power to Gas Platform has issued a paper demanding more regulatory certainty for power-to-gas, and to include it as an alternative in the cost-benefit analysis for grid extensions.

A loan of $64 million was awarded by French development bank Proparco and Dutch peer FMO. The facility will deliver electricity to the Jamaica Public Service Company Limited at a price of $85/MWh over 20 years.

The nation’s largest solar plant – of 54 MW – has achieved financial close and tenders for plants exceeding 100 MW are in the pipeline

With ground-mounted solar plants popular in the Netherlands, critics says large-scale plants are devouring agricultural land. PV association Holland Solar says even if the country reaches an installed capacity of 16 GW by 2050, only 0.5% of its agricultural surfaces would be covered

Dutch/German transmission operator Tennet Holding B.V. has launched a €1.25 billion green bond program. The issuance is backed by five major banks – BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank, ING Bank, Lloyds and Rabobank.

The Dutch company said its project became unviable due to rapidly declining module prices. For its planned solar parks in the Netherlands, however, the company will rely on modules provided by the Dutch panel maker Energyra.