Zimbabwe launches 235 MW solar tender
The Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe has issued a request for proposal to seek partners for the development and construction of seven solar parks, with a combined generation capacity of 235 MW, plus two mini-hydro power projects.
Japan’s largest floating PV plant catches fire after Typhoon Faxai impact
Kyocera’s 13.7 MW floating project at the Yamakura Dam was damaged by 120mph winds the typhoon brought to the coastal city of Chiba. Firefighters said the blaze may have been generated by the strong heat produced by panels stacking up.
Softbank injects another $10m into Swedish dye-sensitized solar specialist Exeger
The Japanese multinational lender is making its second investment in the Swedish start-up. The funds will help the company ship its first products next year.
Central Bank of Brazil wants to buy power through solar leasing
Brazil’s biggest lender has launched three tenders to select solar facilities to supply it with power through leasing. The central bank expects to buy around 4 GWh of electricity per year for the Federal District and another 2 GWh in the states of Goiás and Pará.
Colombian renewables auction attracts 53 bids from 27 companies
Canadian Solar, Acciona, Enel, EDF, Solarpack and Trina are among the contenders to develop large scale renewables projects. Some 26 power distributors are participating in the procurement as buyers.
High power prices, falling PV costs and new regulations behind Brazil’s solar carnival
The nation’s thriving distributed generation market is flying, as was evident at last week’s Intersolar South America trade show. The sector seems unconcerned by mooted changes to net metering incentives in the new year and when even an environmental non-believer like President Bolsonaro is on side, it is difficult to be pessimistic.
Solar-plus-storage vs grid enhancement
Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator will implement a pilot project for a future electricity market based on PV, storage and smart power consumption. The utility says the project will be a cheaper, more efficient alternative to expanding grid infrastructure.
Jordan launches tender for utility scale solar at Azraq town
When built, the 5 MW solar park will add to two other megawatt scale plants powering Azraq’s refugee camp. The project is expected to be developed with the support of the Spanish government.
Big money for Turkey’s 500 MW solar factory
With the Turkish government having given Kalyon Enerji another three years to build the 500 MW facility it won a tender to construct with former partner Hanwha Q Cells, Ankara has now committed a $333 million “super incentive” to the fab.
France added just 397 MW of solar in six months
At the end of June, France’s installed PV capacity topped 9.3 GW for a 4% increase on the figure recorded at the end of December. Only 397 MW of new capacity was put into operation, however, a much lower figure than the 490 MW deployed in the same period of 2018. Why?
