Power Plants

The provincial government of Gauteng in South Africa is to spend over ZAR11 billion this year (US$1 billion) installing solar on all state-owned buildings in the province.

Italian minister of economic development, Flavio Zanon has announced reforms to Italy’s renewable energy incentives that will lengthen the payment period and release €3 billion to lower electricity bills.

In reporting improving sales in the first-half of 2013, Chinese thin-film equipment supplier and module manufacturer, Hanergy expects a ‘wide window of opportunity’ in Europe to gain module sales and market share after the anti-dumping dispute between the EU and China has been resolved.

Renewable energy developer the Juwi Group has secured a €252 million (US$336 million) loan, calling it an “act of faith” in the sector.

Japanese renewable energy project developer Eurus Energy is scheduled to begin construction on an 115MW AC solar park in Japan.

Austria will install a record amount of solar PV capacity this year, according to the country’s PV trade group, Photovoltaic Austria.

To manage areas of high and low irradiance and prevent project clustering, China has introduced new tariffs based on geographical location.

Distressed capital management firms, Clearwater Capital Partners and Spinnaker Capital are working with Suntech Power Holdings to prepare a major restructuring plan for the ailing PV module manufacturing, including downsizing through asset sales and a recapitalisation that could mean majority share takeover by unidentified investors.

Leading machine vision systems specialist, ISRA Vision has hinted at further PV equipment acquisitions and a whiff of recovery in equipment enquiries within the PV sector in reporting third quarter financial year results.

Laos-based Sunlabob Renewable Energy has been awarded a contract to provide training to PV engineers in the Pacific island state of Kiribati.