Energy major Shell and Brazilian steel company Gerdau have penned a 50-50 joint venture (JV) agreement for the development, construction and operation of a 260MWp solar PV project in the solar hotbed state of Minas Gerais.
Solar PV and other renewables accounted for a record share of electricity generation in Australia’s National Energy Market (NEM) in Q4 2021 at 34.9%, while average wholesale prices rose with the higher cost of fossil fuels despite their share of the energy mix shrinking.
The European Investment Bank (EIB) will support the addition of 430MW of solar PV and wind in Spain and Portugal through a €100 million (US$114 million) financing deal.
The Spanish region of Catalonia will need to have at least 7GW of solar PV installed by 2030 to put it on track to achieving a decarbonised electricity system and energy independence by mid-century.
South African mining company Tharisa has signed an agreement with renewables developer Total Eren and African energy company Chariot to build a 40MW solar PV project to power its mining operations as more of the country’s heavy industries turn to solar.
Greek renewables developer Mytilineos has agreed to sell 100MW of PV projects in southern Spain to Aquila Capital for an undisclosed amount as the German investment firm continues to expand its European PV portfolio.
The Australian state of New South Wales (NSW) has received proposals for more than 34GW of solar, wind and energy storage for its South-West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), more than 10 times the likely capacity of the site.
Norwegian independent power producer (IPP) Scatec said it has put on hold a 900MW solar project in India due to a lack of supply of domestic modules and the upcoming introduction of a new import duty.
Japan’s Jera Co, a joint venture between Tokyo Electric Power Group (TEPCO) and the Chubu Electric Power Group, and Japanese solar construction firm West Holdings Corporation (West HD) have agreed to develop 1GW of solar PV in Japan over the next five years.
Switzerland’s government has launched a consultation on a raft of policies to support renewable energy, including increasing tax incentives for PV projects and streamlining application processes in a bid to “accelerate the development of solar energy production”.
