Mitsubishi consortium to acquire Dutch utility Eneco
Publicly-owned power company Eneco has explored the possibility of an IPO since early 2017 and now appears set to pass into new ownership.
Essent expands into renewables with acquisition of Vandebron
Dutch gas and power provider Essent has agreed to buy the Amsterdam-based renewables marketplace for an undisclosed sum. Vandebron sells electricity aggregated from wind, solar and biomass projects.
Fossil fuel dependence and poor governance? Fasten your seatbelts
A study of the after-effects of the energy transition has assessed 156 nations and ranked a surprising winner. Here, energy expert Indra Overland discusses the findings of the GeGaLo Index as part of our interview examining renewables and geopolitics.
Hot news on harvesting electrons in perovskites
An international research group claims to have developed a new bulk perovskite semiconductor material that can capture the excess energy of hot electrons. The material is said to rapidly absorb as heat energy which would otherwise be wasted. With the harvesting of hot electrons, the maximum theoretical efficiency for hybrid-perovskite solar cells could increase from 33% to 66%.
Flexible energy supply companies hampered by lack of policy
Britain’s renewable energy trade body has published a report examining the state of flexibility market readiness in nine European markets. The result makes for sobering reading for Germany, France and the U.K.
Flixbus plans hydrogen buses on long-distance routes
Parent company FlixMobility plans to test hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Europe.
BayWa commissions 25 MW of floating PV arrays in the Netherlands
Floating PV installations in Asia may be much larger but the trend is catching on in the EU and, pending a supportive regulatory environment and incentives, the technology could offer several dozen gigawatts of generation capacity in Europe.
Netherlands to reach 27 GW of solar by 2030
The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency expects the nation’s solar generation capacity to have increased by another 5 GW by the end of next year, from around 4.4 GW at the end of 2018. By the end of 2023, installed PV capacity is predicted to reach approximately 15 GW.
Straining to fix perovskite cells
A technique based on optical imaging has been used by an international research team to illuminate strains in lead halide perovskite solar cells without harming them. The scientists claim the approach helped them discover misorientation between microscopic perovskite crystals was the main cause of the strains.
European coal fleet will run at a loss of €6.57bn this year
Economic thinktank Carbon Tracker used financial modeling to determine the profitability of every coal power plant in the EU. On average, 79% of the facilities run at a loss, with Germany, Spain and Czechia among the states particularly exposed to the consequences – for coal investors and the public.
