AFRICAScatec Solar Completes First Phase Of 258MW PV Project In South Africa
PV-Tech
Scatec Solar and its partners have both grid connected and reached commercial operation for the 86MW first phase of a 258MW PV installation in Upington, South Africa. The first phase of the project, known as Sirius, is expected to generate 217 GWh of renewable energy and cut down on more than 180,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
Green Tech Brings Power To Off-Grid Africa
DW
The “Solartainer” brings clean power to off-grid villages to stimulate economic activity and encourage people to stay in their communities, while ensuring that development has a low climate impact. The solar power unit costs about 150,000 euros ($160,000). Consumers pay for the power they use, meaning the initial cost is recouped in around 15 years.
Renewable Energy Investment Is Taking Big Strides In Sub-Saharan Africa
QZ
Africa’s leading economies are increasingly looking to wind energy to power homes. It’s part of a trend towards varying forms of clean energy across the continent. |
ASIAChina Could Expand Its Solar Industry By 50% In 2020
RT
Despite the coronavirus epidemic ripping through various sectors of the Chinese economy, including the solar industry, Beijing may still significantly boost the number of solar installations this year. According to the China Photovoltaic Industry Association forecast, China is set to see between 35 and 45 gigawatts in new installations in 2020. If the developers manage to reach the most optimistic figure, this would mean a 50 percent surge from the 30.1 gigawatts China saw in 2019.
Uzbekistan Releases EoI For 400MW Of Solar Projects
AKI Press
Uzbekistan has issued a request for Expressions of Interest (EoI) as part of a tender seeking to award 400 MW of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity, the Renewables Now reported. The EoI was published on the Ministry of Energy’s website on Thursday. The competition aims to pre-qualify private sector developers or consortia that will be tasked with the development, financing, construction, ownership and operation of two solar parks. Each of those projects will have a capacity of 200 MW.
China State-Owned Energy Company Starts $8.3 Billion Of Renewable Power Projects
Bloomberg
China Three Gorges New Energy Co., a state-owned clean energy developer, has started construction of 25 renewable power plants in an investment worth 58 billion yuan ($8.3 billion). The projects will have a combined capacity of 3.92 gigawatts, the company said in a WeChat statement on Monday. The plants will be built in 14 provinces including Guangdong, Jiangsu, Fujian, Ningxia and Hebei, it said. |
AUSTRALIAAustralian Mining Giant Chose Wind And Solar Over Gas For $1 Billion Project
Renew Economy
It’s basically unheard of in Australia: An Australian mining giant announcing that it will choose wind, solar and battery storage to provide 80 percent of the power needs of a proposed $1 billion nickel mine in outback Australia.
Genesis Energy Planning New Zealand’s Biggest Solar Farm
NewsTalk
Power generator and retailer genesis energy is in advanced talks to help build New Zealand’s biggest solar farm. The developer is under wraps for now, but the project’s being proposed for Northern Waikato, and it would be ten times bigger than the solar farm currently planned by Refinery NZ at Marsden Point.
Bomen Solar Farm Ready To Go, But Spark Cautious About New Deals Due To Curtailment
Renew Economy
Network company Spark Infrastructure says its first large scale renewable energy project – the 100MW Bomen solar farm near Wagga Wagga – is mechanically complete and will begin earning revenue soon, but it is cautious about new investments due to the curtailment and grid congestion issues. |
EUROPEEurope’s Biggest Firms Are Putting €124 Billion Towards Net Zero
Business Green
CDP analysis of more than 800 companies shows corporate green investment is growing, but businesses must now double down to achieve net zero. Many of Europe’s biggest companies now appear to be recognising both the necessity of the low carbon transition and the opportunities that should arise from deep decarbonisation.
Startup Aims To Be The Airbnb Of Renewable Energy Sharing
Observer
Dutch startup Vandebron has already set up a site where consumers can buy electricity from independent producers, such as farms with wind turbines. That’s great for the Dutch—they’re known for their windmills—but the implementation of energy sharing is still pretty rare.
Schneider Electric Is Bringing Tech-Focused Renewable Energy To Norway
European CEO
The need to dramatically reduce carbon emissions has never been so widely recognised. However, energy consumption is still at its highest. Energy efficiency will therefore be essential if society is to achieve sustainable growth. Karoline Nystrøm, CEO of Schneider Electric Norway, is committed to being part of this move towards more widely available renewable energy. |
LATIN AMERICASolar Generates Secure Energy and Social ImpactIn Brazil
Triple Pundit
As climate change impacts surge around the world, no country is immune. But Brazil, home to more than half of the Amazon rainforest, is on the frontline. The largest country in South America is confronting a wide range of challenges as the government’s stance on forests exacerbate climate change risks. Deforestation is on the rise in Brazil as 2019 saw the number of fires in the Amazon increase by more than 30 percent from the previous year.
Enertronica To Supply 360MW of PV Inverters In Chile
Renewables Now
Italian renewable energy sector player Enertronica SpA (BIT:ENT) announced that, together with its subsidiary Enertronica Santerno Inc, it has signed two manufacturing and supply contracts for 360 MW of photovoltaic (PV) inverters in Chile.
Solar Top Money-maker For Neoen As LatAm Project Wrap-Ups Loom
PV-Tech
The delivery of sizeable projects in 2019 helped push solar to the top of Neoen’s portfolio in 2019, with large plants in Latin America set to further boost the numbers as they go live in 2020. Shares of the Euronext-listed renewable energy developer rose to one-year highs of €35.1 (US$38) after its latest financial update showed full-year revenues grew 22% between 2018 (€207 million, or US$223 million) and 2019 (€253.2 million, or US$273 million). |
MENAJeff Bezos’ $10 Billion Earth Fund Should Look To Israel For Innovative Climate Change Solutions
Nocamels
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos recently announced a new $10 billion fund to help fight climate change and save the planet, and scientists, environmental activists, farmers, and sustainability organizations the world over – including in Israel – are paying attention. Israel’s ecosystem is home to hundreds of groundbreaking green and clean technologies and research-on-the-go to meet the impacts of climate change and would love to draw more attention to these solutions.
U.A.E. Plans For 44% Of Energy Supply To Come From Renewables
Bloomberg
The United Arab Emirates plans to produce 44% of its energy mix from renewable sources, according to United Arab Emirates Energy Minister Suhail Al Mazrouei. The country aims to capture 5 million tons of carbon dioxide by 2030, he said at an event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Gulf Power Companies Eye Investments In $10 Trillion Global Renewables Market
SP GLobal
The power companies from the Gulf Cooperation Council nations are planning to further invest in the global $10 trillion renewables market, expanding outside their region as demand for cleaner energy gathers pace around the world. |
NORTH AMERICAA Bill Gates Led Fund Is Pumping Millions Into “Game Changer” Lithium Mining Technology
Quartz
It takes an estimated 70,000 liters of water to mine a single ton of lithium, an alkali metal that humanity may come to depend on as it turns to batteries to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels. A $20 million investment led by a Bill Gates-backed fund into a lithium-mining technology firm, called Lilac Solutions, could be a “game changer” in tackling that problem if the technology proves commercially viable.
200+ Companies Committed To 100% Renewable Electricity
Clean Technica
Near the end of 2019, RE100 surpassed 200 members — 200 corporations that have committed themselves to going 100% renewable for electricity by a certain year. The focus is on making the targets soon enough that it’s a serious commitment with a plan, and the max year for the commitments is 2050.
Alliant To File Rate Plan For 1,000MW Wisconsin Solar Mega-Project
Smart Energy
US utility Alliant Energy Corp has revealed its intention to file a rate plan with state regulators in the second quarter of 2020 for the first phase of what promises to be a 1,000MW solar project in Wisconsin state, set for multi-phase development in 2023. |
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