photovoltaic

Including 80 MW of additional capacity at the testing stage, the country’s deployed PV capacity from large-scale solar auctions reached around 2.3 GW last year, according to a report by consultancy Greener. The study reveals a further 962 MW may be connected this year. Jinko, Canadian Solar and BYD are the largest module suppliers for the segment.

Although the Saudi authorities were expected to launch tenders for 3.3 GW of solar last year, these were postponed. According to local industry sources, when new targets for renewables are set and more clarity on solar capacity expansion provided, the first tenders will be issued. The new targets are expected to also include the ambitious 200 GW project announced by the Saudi Government last March.

With Dubai and Abu Dhabi having already implemented big plans for solar energy development, the small northern emirate of Umm Al Quwain has now announced its first large-scale solar power project.

India’s Solar Energy Corporation of India has invited solar power developers to construct 7.5 GW grid connected projects in Leh and Kargil Districts in the state of Jammu & Kashmir under a competitive bidding process. Bid submission deadline is April 30. Tenders will be opened on the same day. The date of reverse auction will be advised at a later date.

After the failed attempt to sell a majoritry stake in its main polysilicon unit, Jiangsu Zhongneng, the Chinese solar manufacturer has now agreed to sell its wafer unit Suzhou Kezhun to Huajun Holding Group for US$123.6 million. The operation is part of the company’s plan to focus on wafer manufacturing based on the diamond-wire sawing technology and shift production to low-cost locations.

According to a report from the Centre on Regulation in Europe (CERRE), lower capital costs for large-scale wind and solar projects, and much higher fossil fuel and carbon prices could lead to renewables becoming self financing by 2025. If these conditions do not materialize, more auctions and tenders may still be needed.

A total of 1.58 GW of new PV systems have been registered with Turkey’s grid administrator in 2018. Of this new capacity, 1.51 GW is in the unlicensed project segment, for arrays up to 1 MW in capacity, while the remaining 63 MW is for larger projects that had been successful in bidding for PEKA auctions.

Meyer Burger’s largest single shareholder has requested the company change strategy. Sentis Capital has urged the Swiss technology company’s board to raise sufficient capital for it to set up its own GW-sized production facility for its heterojunction and tandem cell PV technology. Meyer Burger has responded that it is view of only one shareholder.

Although renewable energy targets have been revised down, the archipelago’s government said that wind and solar will still see their share increase considerably over the next decade.

A reduction of the feed-in tariff to ¥21/kWh (around US$0.19) for projects over 2 MW in size and approved between 2012 and 2014 will be applied starting from September 2019 and not from March, as originally planned. For approved projects with a capacity of less than 2 MW, however, no postponement has been granted.