TAQA mulls shareholder status in 900 km Greece-Cyprus interconnector
TAQA, an Abu Dhabi-based energy company, has signed a memorandum of understanding to explore the possibility of becoming a shareholder in the €1.9 billion ($3.08 billion) Greece and Cyprus high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity interconnection.
German decommissioned nuclear plant to become 800 MW/1,600 MWh battery
PreussenElektra has revealed plans to potentially develop Europe’s largest battery storage facility at the decommissioned Brokdorf nuclear power plant site in Germany, with 800 MW/1,600 MWh of capacity. The site operator now needs to secure approval to dismantle the nuclear plant.
‘Not a very special year’: Canada solar expert mulls 2022 slump
Last year Canada switched on its largest utility-scale PV array – the 465 MW (AC) Travers Solar Project – which buoyed solar figures to 4.4 GW, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). But a PV expert warns a six-month pause on renewable energy projects in Alberta this year could slow the whole country’s momentum.
Germany sets new ceiling prices for solar auctions
The German grid agency has set a ceiling price of €0.0737 ($0.081)/kWh for ground-mounted PV and €0.1050/kWh for rooftop solar installations.
Italy-Austria interconnector starts operating
A 28-kilometer underground power cable owned by Italian grid operator Terna started work on Friday, the company announced. The interconnector connects substations in Glorenza northern Italy and Nauders eastern Austria.
Passive solar module cooling tech based on PCM, heat sink fins, water
A global research group has designed a novel PV module cooling system based on multiple cooling sources. The proposed system was able to reduce a PV system temperature by up to 16.7 C and increase power output by over 9%.
Nova Scotia completes province’s largest utility-scale solar facility
Combined production from the Mahone Bay and Berwick solar power plants are moving the Canadian province of Nova Scotia closer to its climate plan goals.
Heat pump sales declining in Europe
European heat pumps sales were strong in the first quarter of 2023, but this was short-lived as sales figures slid by 14% in the third quarter – a worrying reflection of 2022 figures and what could come, warns the European Heat Pump Association (EHPA).
SolarPower Europe praises EU reforms despite capacity remuneration ‘regret’
A new provisional agreement to reform the European Union’s electricity market design is a “clear path forward for long-term investments into renewables,” says SolarPower Europe. However, the organization has criticized the deal’s capacity remuneration mechanisms for “prolonging Europe’s dependency on coal.”
Bolivian wildfires, El Niño impact South American PV irradiance
In a new weekly update for pv magazine, Solcast, a DNV company, says that irradiance patterns across South America last month were impacted by moisture from El Niño, high pressure and the Andes – but smoke from Bolivian wildfires presented an “anomaly.”
