Auction

Some 22 projects were admitted to participate – 17 of them solar – in the country’s first RE procurement exercise, which will be held on February 26.

State-owned energy company Uzbekenergo has issued a request for pre-qualification for the projects, planned for the Navoiy region in southwestern Uzbekistan. The tender process is expected to be finalized by the end of June.

After being “temporarily suspended” in early December, Mexico’s fourth long-term energy auction has been cancelled. The government said the action was taken in compliance with its legal framework and took into account technical, economic and energy planning considerations.

The Renewable Energy Project Development Office is tendering seven large-scale IPP solar projects. The exercise is part of Round 2 of the Saudi National Renewable program, which is expected to allocate almost 2.2 GW of PV capacity this year.

Auctions and new licenses will be suspended until the Jordanian government has assessed the capabilities of its power network.

In France’s new energy strategy, the Macron administration has said how much will be allocated annually in tenders for ground-mount and rooftop PV projects over the next six years. In the best case scenario, France would have 44.5 GW of solar capacity by 2028, with renewables forecast to come in at up to 113 GW.

In last month’s exercise, final prices were slightly lower than those seen in previous procurements and the total allocated capacity was 196.6 MW. Through the three tenders held by the Japanese government, around 500 MW of solar was assigned, against a target of 1-1.5 GW. Land availability, grid constraints and high labor costs make projects expensive and force developers to use mountainous regions.

Colombia is blessed with an abundance of natural resources. According to data from the Colombia’s National Mining and Energy Planning Unit, UPME and the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology and Environmental Studies (IDEAM), hydro potential is estimated at 56 GW countrywide, while solar is close to 42 GW and wind 15 GW in the Guajira region alone. Today, hydroelectric sources make up 65% of the energy mix, while wind and solar account for just 0.11% and 0.06%, respectively. As these numbers underscore, Colombia has barely scratched the surface of its renewable potential.

The nation’s Ministry of Finance is tendering six large-scale projects in Afar, Somali, Oromia and Tigray. The plants will be developed under a public-private partnership framework and their construction is expected to raise around $795 million.

The project, planned for the northern department of Atlántico, will compete in the nation’s renewable energy auction next month.