Power Plants

Bloomberg has reported that JFE Holdings was awarded a contract from Mitsui & Co. and Tokio Marine Asset Management, which will see the company build three solar plants in Japan through subsidiaries. Four of JFE Steel’s units will provide for the Japanese solar plants with a combined 8.3MW capacity.

First Solar noted that, in its opinion, Australia is four years behind the US in the development of large solar farms. In a report by Bloomberg BusinessWeek, it was reported that the company is looking to help Australia build up its solar industry, specifically with a 10MW project that First Solar is partnering on with General Electric.

US solar giant First Solar and Indonesia’s PT. Pembangkitan Jawa Bali Services (PJB Services) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the development of 100MW utility-scale PV projects in Indonesia in order to meet the country’s growing energy demand.

Canadian Solar has teamed up with US roofing company PetersenDean in order to offer a new roofing program. PetersenDean has initiated its own solar division and will use it to promote the program. No details were given by the companies entailing what the program or the partnership will specifically offer. However, PetersenDean did note that the program will kick-off at Santana Row, October 19-21.

ReneSola has shipped 10MW of modules to German-based PV project developer, saferay for a new PV power plant being built in Schwarzheide in Brandenburg, Germany. Saferay is using ReneSola’s 245W and 250W multicrystalline solar modules for the project.

Major PV equipment supplier, centrotherm photovoltaics has submitted its reorganization plans to the insolvency court in Ulm, Germany. Although the company did not provide details on what those plans would be, the company said in a statement that it had now entered a critical phase in its insolvency proceedings that also need creditor approval. Both its subsidiaries, centrotherm thermal solutions and centrotherm SiTec have also filed plans with the court separately.

M+W Group, a German EPC provider, has completed the acquisition of Reliable Plant Solutions GmbH (RPS), a power plant developer with headquarters in Schkeuditz, Germany. Following the takeover, the company has become a 100%-owned subsidiary of M+W Group and has been renamed as M+W Power Solutions GmbH with immediate effect. Its headquarters will remain in Schkeuditz.

Ahead of the official release from the four leading German high voltage network operators (TSOs) next week, Reuters has released information that the push towards green power could cause the country’s renewable energy surcharge to rocket by almost 47% by next year. The article states that this is a reflection of the increasing amount of electricity from renewable sources, bought from producers at guaranteed prices above market rates.

Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has released figures announcing that 885MW of new PV capacity was installed in Japan between April and September 2012, equating to the launch of Japan’s FiT.

German project developer Conergy and local firm Spercheios S.A. have constructed four PV plants for private Greek investors with a combined capacity of 1.9MW and a total output of 2.8 million kWh of solar power every year.