CleanTech Report November 5th 2019 |
AFRICAEnel Green Power Starts Construction Of 280 MW Wind Farms In South AfricaEnel, through its renewable subsidiary Enel Green Power RSA (EGP RSA), has started construction in South Africa of its Karusa and Soetwater wind farms, with an installed capacity of 140 MW each. South Africa Prepares For A Battery Energy Storage System TenderIn a project that the World Bank hopes will be a catalyst for implementing its climate change strategy in low and middle-income countries, Eskom, South Africa’s 100% state-owned electricity utility, will launch a tender for a 1.4 gigawatt-hours battery energy storage system (“BESS”). Egypt Prepares For A Renewable Energy RevolutionLocated in the Aswan Governorate in Upper Egypt, the solar park has attracted some $2 billion in investment, with around 30 companies already establishing energy projects and commercial operations at the site. |
ASIAVietnam Is Pushing Ahead Of Southeast Asia In Its Drive For Renewable EnergyThe region, long criticized for lagging behind in its efforts to adapt to more sustainable ways, is still heavily reliant on coal consumption. Vietnam, however, has bold ambitions to use more renewable energy such as wind and solar. Tata, Rockefeller Foundation Plan 10,000 India MicrogridsTata Power, in collaboration with the Rockefeller Foundation, plans to develop 10,000 microgrids in India to boost access to affordable and reliable electricity to homes and enterprises across the nation’s vast rural areas. China’s Self-Sufficiency In Energy Is Enough For Clean TransitionVice president of APAC power and renewables at Wood Mackenzie, Mark Hutchinson, noted that China has its own “homegrown technology in wind and solar” so it does not need foreign assistance in its bid towards clean energy. |
AUSTRALIASouth Australia’s Stunning Renewable Energy TransitionThe eyes of the energy world are upon it, but the renewable energy transition in South Australia is probably one of the misunderstood, misreported and under-appreciated achievements of our time. South Australia, for those who have not been paying attention, has dumped coal and now sources more than half its generation from wind and solar, becoming a net exporter rather than an importer of electricity along the way. L’oréal Goes Au Naturel With 100% RenewablesL’Oréal Australia and Engie ANZ have agreed to a long-term energy supply agreement that will see the cosmetics company powered by 100% renewables. RET Accreditations In Australia To Hit 4 GW In 2019Power plants in Australia with a combined capacity of some 4 GW will secure accreditation under the country’s Renewable Energy Target (RET) this year, breaking the 2018 record of 3.5 GW. |
EUROPENetherlands To Reach 27 GW Of Solar By 2030The 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. German Coal Consumption Continues To CrashLignite and bituminous coal produced 50 percent less energy than renewables in Germany during the first three quarters of 2019, a new report by the Centre for Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) and the German Association of Energy and Water Management (BDEW) reveals. Nova Innovation Launches Funding Round To Fast-track Tidal Energy TechnologyThe company designs, builds and operates tidal turbines that generate renewable energy from the sea and in 2016 installed the world’s first offshore tidal array located in the Shetland Islands, Scotland. The turbines have been generating clean electricity and exporting to the grid for over three years. |
LATIN AMERICAA Cautionary Tale For Bold Renewable Energy Vows In Chile’s Atacama DesertRising out of Chile’s Atacama desert, the half-built Cerro Dominador solar tower reflects the challenge the South American country faces as it races to meet some of the most ambitious renewables targets in the world. Colombia To Award Long Term Power Purchase AgreementsThe Colombian Government is expected to award long-term renewable power purchase agreements (PPAs) by October 22, 2019. The Mining and Energy Planning Unit (UPME) announced that a total of 26 traders and 27 generators with 56 generation projects submitted their interest to participate in the auction and on October 2, 2019 UPME shortlisted 23 traders. Iberdrola México Renewable Income Up Over 40%Spanish energy firm Iberdrola is reporting double-digit income growth in Mexico for both its renewable and standard generation operations in the first nine months of 2019. |
MENASolar Projects Show Rapid Growth In Middle EastSolar power continues to make inroads in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), and other parts of the Persian Gulf region. The Middle East Solar Industry Association (MESIA) in late September said it expects at least $15 billion of solar power projects will enter operation in the region in the next five years. GCC To Save $76 Billion In Adopting RenewablesThe GCC is rapidly adopting renewable energy generation to meet power demand, lower carbon emissions and reduce costs. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) indicates that the GCC’s installed power capacity grew four-fold between 2014-2017. The IRENA report also predicts that if the GCC realizes its renewable energy plans, the region is set to create cumulative cost savings of $76 billion by 2030. Abdul Latif Jameel Unit Launches Solar Plants In JordanFotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy and a leading global developer of utility-scale renewable projects, has inaugurated the Mafraq I and Empire photovoltaic solar plants of 50 MW AC each in Jordan. |
NORTH AMERICALeviton Acquires Canada-Based ViscorCanada’s largest independent lighting manufacturer will bolster Leviton’s expanding and diversified lighting product portfolio. On Friday, your humble editor had a conversation with Rich Westfall, VP and GM Lighting & Controls, Leviton, Tom Leonard, VP of Marketing and Product Management, Leviton, and Santino Nemi, Chief Operating Officer, Viscor. Google’s Reverse Auctions Net 1.2 GW Of Renewables In 60 MinutesGoogle pre-qualified bidders and used reverse auctions to obtain the lowest price for renewable energy. Reverse auctions for corporate purchases could potentially benefit solar developers, if their transparency and simplicity can influence more corporations to procure green power. Canadian Pension Giant Buys Pattern Energy For $6.1 BillionThe Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) has bought US developer Pattern Energy Group in an all-cash deal valued at around US$6.1 billion. CPPIB will pay US$26.75 per Pattern Energy share, equal to a premium of about 14.8% over the stock’s closing price on 9 August, the last trading day prior to market speculation about the possible deal. |
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