CleanTech Report May 5th 2020 |
AFRICAZimbabwe’s $3 Billion Thermal Project Gets Help From China Zimbabwe’s plan to build a new thermal power plant at Sengwa has received a huge boost after Rio Energy, developers of the project, said this week it will be getting help from the China Gezhouba Group Corporation. The Sengwa power plant, with an estimated cost of $3 billion, will be located in northern Zimbabwe. It has a total capacity of 2,800 megawatts and will be built in four phases of about 700 megawatts each. IRENA Encourages Renewable Energy Take-Up The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) praises the Gambian government’s efforts to promote renewable energy production while encouraging the country to further adopt clean energy in its electrification projects. Rural Electrification Is Key To Agricultural Transformation Research organisation, the Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), has launched a new report that shows how rural electrification efforts can unlock billions of dollars in new value across six agricultural processing or small business opportunities in Ethiopia. According to the report this can be achieved when farmers switch to electricity from expensive alternatives such as diesel. |
ASIAUzbekistan To Double Power Generating Capacity And Goes Heavy On Renewables Uzbekistan plans to more than double its power generating capacity over the next 10 years, with half of new capacity coming from solar plants and wind farms, the Central Asian nation’s government said on Monday. The former Soviet republic of 34 million aims to increase its capacity to 29.3 gigawatts (GW) from the current 12.9 GW, and rely less on natural gas, which dominates its power mix at present, it said in a strategic plan. AFRY Wins 1.2 GW Pumped Storage Project From Greenko AFRY India has won Letter of Award (LoA) from Greenko Energy Projects Ltd, a leading renewable energy independent power producer (IPP) in India, for providing detailed design engineering services for its 1.2 GW (or 1200 MW) pumped storage project. Greenko had earlier won the biggest storage project tender ever that was conducted, winning rights to build 900 MW of storage. ADB Funds Mongolia’s First Large-Scale Advanced Battery Energy Storage System In Mongolia, the National Power Transmission Grid has secured a loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to install the country’s first large-scale advanced battery energy storage system (BESS). The $100 million loan will be used to install a 125MW BESS to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy. |
AUSTRALIAUPC Renewables Gets Green Light From Epa For $350 Million Jim’s Plain Project The Jim’s Plain wind and solar power project west of Smithton has been given the green light by the state’s Environment Protection Authority. The decision is a major turning point for UPC Renewables, which now has to get a development permit from the Circular Head Council, and approval from the Commonwealth before it can proceed. Renewables Could Generate 75 Percent Of Australia’s Energy Supply In Five Years Australia has the potential to generate three-quarters of its energy supply from renewables within five years, but only if much-needed reforms are enacted swiftly. Such changes would not only boost renewables’ capacity to light up Australia, they could stimulate economic growth and spark a jobs boom, according to one energy systems analyst. Australia’s Great Solar Buy-Back: Business Offered 6-Month Break From Power Bills A second Australian solar buy-back scheme has been announced in the space of one week, the latest being a partnership between Smart Commercial Solar teaming up with not-for-profit Clear Sky Solar Investments. The offering from Smart and Clear Sky aims to give companies struggling through the Covid-19 crisis an opportunity use their existing rooftop solar system to unlock cash flow, get a short breather from paying bills, and then continued access to discounted power. |
EUROPESweden Follows Austria In Shutting Down Last Coal Fired Power Plant Sweden has followed Austria and Belgium in shutting down the last coal-based power plant in the country. Sweden met this goal two years ahead of schedule. These three nations are the only countries in Europe to now have coal-free power generation. Belgium closed its coal-based energy supplying units in 2016 itself. Austria shuttered its last coal-fired plant, which powered a district heating network in the municipality of Mellach, south of Grazcoal power stations, earlier this month. Tesla Has Applied For A License To Become A UK Energy Provider Tesla has applied for a licence to become an energy provider in the UK, according to the Telegraph. That means it might bring its lithium-ion PowerPack battery technology to Britain, much as it did with its 100 megawatt Hornsdale PowerPack installation in South Australia. It may also be a way for the company to introduce a platform called Autobidder that allows renewable power suppliers to aggregate and trade energy. Shannon, Obton To Spend €60M On Solar Farms Irish group Shannon Energy and Danish company Obton plan to kick off a €300 million investment in the Republic by spending €60 million on plants that will generate electricity from solar power. Shannon and Obton formed a joint venture this year to build solar farms, which use panels of specially manufactured cells to convert the sun’s heat to electricity, around the Republic. |
LATIN AMERICABrazil Hits 5 GW Milestone In Brazil, like in many other parts of the world, industry associations claim that solar will be a strategic element in the recovery from the Covid-19 crisis, due to its potential to create jobs, generate income, and attract new investment. Benefits Of Battery Storage-Based Black-Start Capability Maintaining grid reliability and stability is increasingly challenging as renewable energy resources are added to the power mix. Combining battery storage systems with gas turbine units can improve overall plant performance and ensure black-start capability is available, when needed. Mega Solar Project In Puerto Rico Moving Ahead The project, which according to the company has the highest solar PV contract price in the U.S., took one step closer to realization when Greenbriar announced in early April that it had signed an agreement with the China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) to design, build, equip and construct the project. CMEC is part of the $40 billion China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach) group of companies. |
MENAACWA Power Consortium Signs Investment Deal Worth $650M A consortium led by ACWA Power including Gulf Investment Corporation (GIC) and Al Bawani Water & Power Company (Albawani) announced Friday the signing of a water purchase agreement worth $650 million. The deal is with the Saudi Water Partnership Company (SWPC) for a greenfield sea water reverse osmosis desalination project in Jubail, KSA. The Jubail 3A Independent Water Plant (IWP) will have a capacity of 600,000 m3 of potable water/day, greatly contributing to Saudi efforts to ensure water security. Abu Dhabi Go Head To Head In Solar Pricing The work will be carried out as part of a 900 MW phase at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park. The $570 million project was awarded at a tariff of $0.016953 per kWh. The DEWA contract comes shortly after a project in Abu Dhabi was announced, priced at $0.0135 per kWh. Energy Ministry Pushes NIS 25B In Projects To Reboot Economy The Energy Ministry on Monday proposed a NIS 25 billion ($7.1 billion) raft of mainly privately funded energy and infrastructure projects to help kickstart the post-coronavirus economy and provide jobs. The projects would see the government footing 12 percent of the costs, equivalent to NIS 855 million ($245 million), mainly in the form of incentives, sums to be matched or leveraged, and loan guarantees. |
NORTH AMERICAUS Trio Plot 350MW PV Build In Texas A trio of companies in the US are to work together on the development and construction of a 350MW solar farm in Texas. A joint venture of Solar Plus Development and Avondale Solar called AP Solar Holdings is partnering with J-Power USA Development to build the Red-Tailed Hawk project in Wharton county starting in the second half of this year. Enormous PV Projects In Alabama, Florida, Texas, Ohio And Wisconsin Weekly roundup of really big solar covers projects that are 100 MW and above. Here are some massive, worthy projects of note that didn’t quite make that list. Southern California Edison Signed Seven Contracts For A Total Of 770 MW Battery Storage. Southern California Edison (SCE) signed seven contracts for a total of 770 megawatts of lithium-ion battery-based energy storage — to enhance the regional grid’s reliability and replace four large coastal once-through cooling plants. |
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