Norway

Startup Morrow Batteries has raised €100 million ($105.9 million) in a funding round led by Siemens and ABB. It will use the money to build its first battery cell factory in Norway, its home market.

DNV is spearheading two joint industry projects that aim to develop reference standards for the design, development, and operation of floating PV systems. Such standards are still largely lacking, potentially leading to delays and obstacles in permitting and authorization.

REC’s new heterojunction solar panel series features efficiencies of up to 22.3% and an operating temperature coefficient of -0.26% per degree Celsius.

Norwegian startup Over Easy Solar AS is launching a vertical PV system for rooftop applications at this year’s Smarter E in Munich, Germany.

In other news, Hydrofuel Canada developed hollow hybrid plasmonic nanocages to create an electrocatalyst for ammonia synthesis from nitrogen (N2) and water (H2O) and said green hydrogen could be separated from this ammonia and sold at about $1.50 per kilogram. Furthermore, Norway’s Aker Horizons and Statkraft are exploring green hydrogen and ammonia production opportunities in India and Brazil, targeting local steel and fertilizer industries.

Skyfri Group, a cleantech company headquartered in Oslo, Norway, has acquired India’s third largest O&M provider Avi Solar.

A Finnish-Norwegian research group has assessed the global potential of vertical east-west bifacial PV (VBPV) projects and found that these installations may provide a low LCOE at Nordic latitudes, in Central Europe and subtropical desert areas. The researchers also found that residential and commercial VBPV systems are a grid-friendly solution for low-voltage networks when compared to monofacial arrays.

An international research group has developed a solid oxide fuel cell that may be used in vehicles. The monolith device has an active cell area of around 18 cm2 and was built through common manufacturing processes. It was found to achieve a high power density of 5.6 kW/L, which the scientists said is comparable with that of the best performing fuel cells based on ceramic anodes.

Norway’s clean energy agency Enova will increase the maximum PV system size eligible for rebates from 15 to 20 kW and the maximum subsidy amount from 1,250 to 2,000 NOK ($226.7) per kW installed. In addition, new subsidies of up to 10,000 NOK will be introduced for energy management systems that are often installed alongside solar arrays.

Canada-based Ly-Cycle has formed a joint venture with Norwegian-headquartered strategic partners Eco Stor and Morrow Batteries to build a new commercial lithium-ion battery recycling facility in southern Norway.