CleanTech Report 2021.05.27

US record growth in storage, wind and solar.
TenneT issues €1.8 billion European green bond.
SoftBank to exit India solar in $3.5 billion deal.
Japan plans $10 billion support ASEAN decarbonization.
Kenya’s geothermal pioneer seeks $2 billion to add output.
Shell wins $2.5 billion Australian power and storage contract.

CleanTech Report May 27th 2021

NORTH AMERICA

US Battery Surge Unlocks Record Growth In Wind And Solar Pipeline

Renew Economy

The total capacity active in the queues is growing year-over-year, with over 750 GW of generation and an estimated 200 GW of storage capacity as of the end of 2020. Solar (462 GW) accounts for a large – and growing – share of generator capacity in the queues. Substantial wind (209 GW) capacity is also in development, 29% of which is for offshore projects (61 GW). In total, about 680 GW of zero-carbon capacity is currently seeking transmission access, as is 74 GW of natural gas capacity.

 

Israeli Energy Company Ormat Buys Nevada Power Assets For $377 Million

Jewish Business News

Ormat Technologies, Inc., an Israeli geothermal energy company, has entered into an agreement with TG Geothermal Portfolio, LLC (a subsidiary of Terra-Gen, LLC) to acquire two contracted geothermal assets in Nevada with a total net generating capacity of 67.5 MW (net), a greenfield development asset adjacent to one of the plants, and an underutilized transmission-line. 

 

Solar Design Startup Aurora Reaches Unicorn Status After $250 Million Funding Round

Forbes

Following the latest funding round, the startup says it has achieved unicorn status, with a $2 billion valuation. The cofounders, however, remain grounded. “It doesn’t feel like we’re on top of Mount Everest, it’s maybe more like it’s base camp. Mount Everest is when every roof has solar,” says Hopper.

 

LATIN AMERICA

Latin America’s Innovation Outlook

Smart Energy

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) LAC innovation index GAP analysis results reveal that disruptive trends such as decarbonisation, decentralisation and digitalisation are accelerating the transformation of the Latin American and Caribbean energy industry.


BMR Energy Starts Construction Of Costa Rica Solar Facility

Renewable Energy Magazine

Developer and operator of clean energy projects in the Caribbean and Latin America, BMR Energy, has announced it has started construction on the Valle Escondido solar facility in Costa Rica.


Renovatio Inks New PPA In LatAm’s First Private Renewables Auction

BN Americas

Colombian energy trader and supplier Grupo Renovatio has secured a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with German developer ABO Wind as part of the country’s first private auction for electricity from renewable sources. 

 

EUROPE

BASF And RWE Plan To Cooperate On New Technologies For Climate Protection

Chem Europe

The CEOs of RWE and BASF, Dr. Markus Krebber and Dr. Martin Brudermüller, sign a letter of intent covering a wide-ranging cooperation for the creation of additional capacities for renewable electricity and the use of innovative technologies for climate protection.


€120 Million Green Energy Facility Planned For Cork Harbour At Aghada

AFloat

Green energy company – EI-H2 – has announced plans for Ireland’s first Green Hydrogen facility. The new company intends to seek planning permission for a 50MW electrolysis plant in Aghada, on the shores of Cork Harbour, which when operational will remove 63,000 tonnes of carbon emissions annually from Irish industry and power generation.


TenneT Issues €1.8 Billion Green Bond

reNEWS

TenneT has issued its largest ever and first Green triple tranche eurobond transaction. The €1.8bn green bond is split in three tranches of €650m, €500m and €650m, with the support of six joint bookrunners that include BNP Paribas, Deutsche Bank and HSBC.

 

ASIA

SoftBank To Exit India Solar Business In $3.5 Billion USD Deal

Clean Technica

After months of speculation, SoftBank is ready to exit India’s renewable energy business. The Japanese investor will sell its entire stake in SB Energy to a competitor. According to regulatory filings, SoftBank is set to sell its entire stake in SB Energy to Adani Green Energy, one of India’s largest renewable energy companies. Bharti Enterprises is also expected to sell its 20% share in the joint venture which, at one point, also had Foxconn Technologies as a partner.


ASEAN To Receive $10 Billion Decarbonization Support From Japan

NIKKEI

Japan is preparing to launch a new initiative aimed at helping the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations cut greenhouse gas emissions and realize a decarbonized society.


SUSI Partners Raises $81 Million To Invest In Southeast Asia Renewables

PV Tech

SUSI Partners announced it has raised US$81 million in the first close of its Asia Energy Transition Fund (SAETF), which was set up to “accelerate the buildout of sustainable energy infrastructure in a region that will be a crucial factor in achieving global climate targets,” said Marius Dorfmeister, SUSI Partners’ co-chief executive. SUSI’s ultimate target for the fund is US$250 million.

 

MENA

Masdar Wins 400MW Solar Plants Tenders In Uzbekistan

ZAWYA

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) has won tenders for two key solar power plants in Uzbekistan, being implemented on a public-private partnership (PPP).

 

Ongoing Cooperation Portfolio Between Egypt And Germany Amounts To €1.7 Billion

Egypt Today

Ministry of International Cooperation’s ongoing cooperation portfolio with Germany amounts to €1.7 billion, which has funded 30 projects so far either through loans or technical and financial grants.


UAE Well Positioned To Provide Low-Cost, Low-Carbon Energy As Demand Grows

The National News

The UAE is well positioned to offer low-cost, low-carbon energy as global demand returns and is expected to increase in line with the economic growth, said Dr Sultan Al Jaber, the UAE’s Special Envoy for Climate Change and Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology.

 

AFRICA

Big Private Power Plants Coming To South Africa

MyBroadband

Many new private power plants are set to provide electricity to South Africa’s grid over the next few years. These include wind, solar, gas, and biomass power stations, all of which either form part of the Department of Energy’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producers (REIPP) Procurement Programme or Risk Mitigation IPP Procurement Programme.


Africa’s Financial Capital Sets 35% Renewable Energy Target

Bloomberg

Johannesburg, Africa’s dominant financial center, wants to meet 35% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2030 and will seek proposals for privately supplied power by August.


Top Africa Geothermal Utility Seeks $2 Billion To Add Output

Bloomberg

Kenya Electricity Generating Co., Africa’s geothermal pioneer, plans to raise $1.95 billion to build new, and upgrade existing plants in a bid to almost double its power output from the renewable fuel.

 

AUSTRALIA

J-Power Takes 10% Stake In Australian Renewables Developer Genex

PV Tech

Japanese power company J-Power has acquired a 10% stake in renewables and pumped hydro developer Genex Power through its Australian subsidiary JPGA Partners.

 

Victorian Councils Commit To Renewable Energy Future

PV Magazine

More than half of the Victoria’s local councils will soon be powered by renewable energy after they signed up to the largest emissions reduction project yet undertaken by local government in Australia.

 

Shell Wins $2.5 Billion Australian Power Contract With Battery Storage

Reuters

Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) state said on Tuesday it has awarded a A$3.2 billion ($2.5 billion) 10-year power supply contract to Royal Dutch Shell PLC, which includes supplying battery back-up power for wind and solar energy.

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