Companies

French power giant EDF has acquired a 50% stake in the Togo-focused unit of off-grid renewable energy specialist BBOXX, with EDF adding its financial clout to speed up solar home system deployments and its technical expertise to improve the energy storage offering.

Major polysilicon producer Wacker Chemie has reported a significant decline in the fortunes of its polysilicon business segment in the third quarter of 2018.

Tesla expects solar installations in 2018 to have peaked in the third quarter after reporting total installs of 93MW in the reporting period.

Polysilicon producer REC Silicon has been forced to sell solar grade (FBR) polysilicon below cash cost, due to weak demand and ASP declines, driven by demand curtailment in China and continued polysilicon capacity expansions.

‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member GCL System Integrated Technology Co (GCL-SI) is planning to sell up to RMB 1.0 billion (US$144 million) of sales invoices to a third party at a discount to improve its cash flow position.

PV manufacturing capacity expansion announcements in the second quarter of 2018, were slightly higher than the previous quarter, although activity slumped specifically in June, after China’s decision to suddenly cap utility-scale and distributed generation (DG) projects (531 New Deal). But large-scale multi-gigawatt production plans in the first half of the year may have hidden an inevitable slowdown, despite the impact on downstream demand from the 531 New Deal.

The Chinese government’s decision (531 New Deal) to curtail utility-scale and distributed generation (DG) PV deployments just after the SNEC trade show at the end of May, not only surprised the industry but has since fuelled a significant ASP decline of modules and inverters.

Akuo Energy and Norton Rose Fulbright reach financial close on 50MW Mali solar project, BayWa r.e. completes self-consumption solar project in Spain, Solar comes top in European survey, CDPQ increases stake in Azure Power.

‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Hanwha Q CELLS has as expected confirmed it would de-list from NASDAQ as part of its planned acquisition by Hanwha Solar Holdings Co, a subsidiary of Hanwha Chemical Corporation.

Leading PV manufacturing equipment supplier Meyer Burger has announced a new restructuring program, which is intended to bring its breakeven level to around CHF 250 million per annum.