CleanTech Report 2019.06.20

 

The Zambian government said on Wednesday that it is finalizing legislation that will allow for the private sector to participate in off-grid solutions through renewable energy.

 

This year’s Africa Energy Forum (AEF) considered the plethora of issues concerning power across the continent. Finance is always a burning issue, as is regulatory reform, but even solving those thorny problems will not ensure a smooth path for African renewables.

 

If universal energy access is to be achieved under the Sustainable Development Goals, those looking to renewable energy solutions to address energy access gaps need to ensure the delivery of their services are sustainable.

 

India’s largest power generation company, the government-owned NTPC Limited, has issued a tender for 1 gigawatt of solar PV capacity under the CPSU scheme phase II. Project developers are required to use only Indian-made solar cells and modules for the projects. Project developers shall be free to choose the location of the projects across the country.

 

Devices such as optical sensors and infrared imaging chips are likely applications, which could be useful in fields such as automated transport and astronomy. In future, if the effect can be magnified and the technology scaled up, it could lead to high-efficiency solar power devices.

 

LOCAL renewable energy firm Sunseap has secured a S$43 million green loan to install solar power systems on rooftops across Singapore that combined, can generate enough energy to power more than 9,600 four-room HDB flats for one year.

 

The developers of what is expected to be Australia’s biggest manganese metals project are looking to source up to 90 per cent renewables for the electricity supply of its energy-intensive operations, and believe it could achieve price parity with Chinese suppliers if it does.

 

Energy development in the Northern Territory is a typically Australian story: it is backing fossil fuels – in this case gas – when it could, as one of the sunniest places on Earth, be reaping economic and environmental benefits from renewable energy.

 

Second Australian renewable energy scheme secures government support and stands in stark contrast to the stalled solar projects of miners in SA

 

The Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy announced plans to potentially open two areas for offshore wind development with a combined capacity of up to 3.5GW.

 

Global investment in renewable energy hit USD 288.9 billion in 2018, with the amount spent on new capacity far exceeding the financial backing for new fossil fuel power, according to new figures published today.

 

Nearly half the world’s electricity will come from renewable energy by 2050 as costs of wind, solar and battery storage continue to plummet. Since 2010, the cost of wind power has dropped by 49%, and solar has plummeted 85%, according to BNEF

 

Spanish solar products maker Soltec Renewable Energies will supply solar trackers to a 475-MW plant currently under construction in the Brazilian state of Piaui.

 

Bolivia’s Energy Ministry said this week the first 50MW phase of a 100MW project near Oruro, a plateau city west of the country, is nearing completion.

 

Nicaragua’s energy and mines ministry and EPR Solar signed an MOU (in photo) to build a US$100mn, 100MW solar plant which would span San Benito and Tipitapa in Managua department.

 

Turkey’s energy sector has been attracting around €250 million ($280 million) per year from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the bank plans to maintain the same levels of financing in 2019 as well, Managing Director for Sustainable Infrastructure Group at the EBRD said on June 19.

 

Microsoft has become the first of the “big three” public cloud providers to open a region in the Middle East.

 

A panel session at the Africa Energy Forum that concludes today in Lisbon, has examined Morocco’s energy market and included a presentation by Mohammed Ghazali, secretary-general at the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development.

 

The report finds that the cost of installation and maintenance of renewables, which was an important stumbling block to mass adoption, continues on a downward trajectory.

 

The United States experienced its best first quarter ever for new solar installations over the first three months of 2019, installing a record 2.7GW of new capacity, the most new solar ever installed in a first quarter.

 

The state would pledge to eliminate net greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, with all its electricity coming from carbon-free sources.