Europe

Work is heating up on 10 MW of solar PV plants in Armenia, which were commissioned under a special tariff announced in December 2016. Three MW have already been commissioned, with the rest scheduled for completion in 2018. Additional utility-scale quotas are also set to be published next year.

Minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, János Lázár, outlines plan to ease regulations regarding solar installations up to 500 kW installed on small one hectare sites, confirms government will offtake all solar energy produced.

France’s PV sector demonstrates regained confidence in the future of solar PV in both domestic and foreign markets. This was the key takeaway from renewable energy event, EnerGaïa, which took place this week in Montpellier. Expectations are that the event is fast becoming France’s energy transition fair. pv magazine presents the four themes dominating 2017’s event.

SoLayTec B.V, a subsidiary of U.S. based equipment provider Amtech Systems, has announced a follow-on order from an unnamed customer for its atomic layer deposition systems, to be used in PERC cell production.

British Petroleum makes first move in PV since 2012 with acquisition of 43% stake in British renewables firm Lightsource.

A PLN 40 billion (around €9.4 billion) Polish support scheme for renewable energy has been approved by the European Commission. Meanwhile, Guernsey-based Sequoia Economic Infrastructure Income Fund has agreed to provide financing for ReneSola’s 55 plants in Poland, each with a capacity of 1 MW.

Milan Nitzschke, president of EU ProSun and spokesman AEGIS Europe, an industry alliance representing 30 European manufacturing sectors, explains what China’s quest for market economy status has to do with the new European anti-dumping directives, and what effect they will have on the measures against Chinese PV manufacturers.

Acting on the behalf of its investors, the German asset manager has come into possession of four solar PV projects in Portugal, the names of which have not been disclosed. Meanwhile, Germany’s HSH Nordbank has successfully penetrated the Portuguese market with the refinancing of two solar plants.

China National Building Materials (CNBM), the parent company of German module manufacturer Avancis, announced that the first modules have rolled out of its 300 MW CIGS factory in Anhui Province, China.

The new legal framework for anti-dumping, designed to protect the EU against unfair trade practices, has been signed. It will come into force on December 20.