World’s largest floating PV plant goes online in China
Huaneng Power International has switched on a 320 MW floating PV array in China’s Shandong province. It deployed the plant in two phases on a reservoir near its 2.65 GW Dezhou thermal power station.
Construction begins on 500MW solar park in the Philippines
The solar park is part of a 1GW portfolio of unsubsidized PV projects. Completion is scheduled for 2023.
Spain to hold 500 MW renewables auction on April 6
Through the procurement exercise, the Spanish authorities aim to allocate 200MW of CSP, 140MW of distributed solar, 140MW of biomass capacity, and another 20MW for other minor renewable energy technologies.
Algeria launches 1 GW solar tender
Developers will have time until April 30 to submit their bids. Selected projects will be awarded a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA).
Italy to launch eight renewable tenders on January 31
Interested developers will have time until March to submit their bids. The final tender results will be announced by May 31.
Building battery storage systems in India
Nexcharge, a joint venture between Indian lead-acid storage specialist Exide Industries and Swiss lithium-ion battery manufacturer Leclanché, has fully automated assembly lines of li-ion battery packs, modules, and cell testing labs in Gujarat. Ketan Chitnis, VP of Nexcharge’s stationary storage business unit, tells pv magazine that the government’s production-linked incentive scheme is attracting investment.
Poland allocates 870 MW of solar in renewables auctions, lowest bid for PV was $0.05078/kWh
The Polish energy regulator has allocated 570 MW of PV capacity in a procurement exercise for projects exceeding 1 MW in size and around 300 MW in an auction for projects with capacities of up to 1 MW.
Australian graphene discovery could unlock cheaper, more efficient li-ion batteries
Researchers at the University of Wollongong in Australia have discovered a new form of graphene that will improve anode and cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries, making them cheaper and more efficient. They are collaborating with Sicona, which has agreed to buy the researchers’ intellectual property.
Lockheed Martin to provide flow battery for 103MW solar-storage project in Canada
The Saddlebrook Solar + Storage Project will be a 102.5 MW installation, paired with 6.5 MW/52 MWh of Lockheed Martin’s GridStar Flow battery technology. It will be the largest flow battery energy storage facility in Alberta.
US government identifies land to support 100 GW of solar
The US government could lease about 1,400 square miles of public land for solar development, in a move that would effectively double the nation’s installed PV capacity. The Bureau of Land Management has already taken the first step by approving 465 MW of solar and 400 MW of storage in California.
