Power Plants

Sungrow opens Kolkata office, Indian Open Access solar market nears 2.9GW, KfW offers €200 million financing for Indian renewables

UPDATED: Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has issued a request for bids (RfB) for a 160MW hybrid solar and wind project combined with battery energy storage in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

The lowest bid quoted in Indian state-run utility NTPC’s auction for 2GW of interstate transmission system (ISTS)-connected solar was INR2.59/kWh (US$0.037), a 14 paisa rise from the L1 tariff in the most recent 2GW PV auction in India.

Australia’s Coalition Party room has signed off on the controversial National Energy Guarantee (NEG) moving it onto the next stage of consultation.

Developer and EPC firm Conergy Asia has been acquired by the Green Investment Group (GIG).

India’s Ministry of Finance has temporarily deferred its imposition of a 25% safeguard duty on solar cell and module imports in compliance with a stay issued by the High Court of Orissa.

India’s Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued an amendment to its National Wind-Solar Hybrid Policy, clarifying that any form of energy storage, not just batteries, can be used in hybrid projects.

WGL Energy Systems has secured a US$75 million financing package from M&T Bank to provide funding for future PV projects in the US.

PV developer and manufacturer Solar Philippines plans to enter the Indian solar market, but then use that experience to become even more competitive in Southeast Asia.

A consortium including InfraCo Africa and Smart Energies International has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Chad’s national utility La Société Nationale d’Electricité (SNE) for a 60MW solar project.