Tender

France has achieved an average price of €85.20 ($93.72)/MWh in a 512 MW hydro-wind-PV tender. It has selected 34 projects, including four wind installations and 30 ground-mounted solar plants, from developers such as EDF, Neoen, and BayWa re.

The European Commission’s decision to deliver its hotly anticipated Heat Pump Action Plan late next year instead of this month is a “mistake” that will impact the sector and €7 billion ($7.6 billion) worth of investments, the European Heap Pump Association’s (EHPA) secretary general Thomas Nowak says in a statement.

British renewable energy company Octopus Energy Group announced it would use a recent $800 million investment to “drive real scale” of heat pump manufacture and installation, and create 3,000 new jobs.

Saudi Arabia-based energy developer ACWA Power says it has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with state-owned utility Eskom for a 442 MW solar facility with 1200 MWh of battery storage in South Africa’s Northern Cape province.

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.

South Africa’s new auction is the first to be held under a December 2022 government plan to procure 14,771 MW of new generating capacity.

The leaders of Germany’s three major political factions have agreed to cut an unspecified amount of solar spending, among other initiatives, to plug a €60 billion ($64 billion) budget shortfall triggered by a German federal court ruling in November. However, the Federal Association of Solar Economy (BSW-Solar) has criticized the announcement and said that concerns remain about other major solar projects that are potentially at risk.

Uganda’s Ministry of Water and Environment is inviting eligible bidders to apply to develop 40 solar-powered “packages” for water schemes in a range of locations in the East African country.

The Namibian government is looking for consultants to provide development, environmental and advisory services for a range of renewable energy projects, including solar, wind and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

A consortium of financial institutions last week announced they co-invested $52 million to help finance the development of a 50 MW greenfield project in Sierra Leone titled Planet Solar spearheaded by Frontier Energy and Planet One Group.