Shikun & Binui expands presence in US
29 March 2021: Israeli energy company Shikun & Binui (S&B) is to acquire a 260MWdc/200MWac solar portfolio in the US from Savion, a subsidiary of Australia investor Macquarie’s Green Investment Group.
S&B USA Energy has bought the Brazoria West Solar project, located 40 miles southwest of Houston, Texas. Construction is due to start on the project in the second financial quarter of 2021, and commercial operations are scheduled to begin the following year.
The Brazoria project has been contracted under two power purchase agreements (PPAs) with an energy trading company and a commercial and industrial business respectively.
It marks S&B’s second project acquisition in the US, and the third asset to join its stateside portfolio.
Kevin Yaich, head of S&B USA Energy, said the company is “actively pursuing” other assets in the US, and will “continue to build” its renewables portfolio in the country.
Sonnedix acquires 5.1MW Spanish solar portfolio
29 March 2021: Independent Power Producer (IPP) Sonnedix has completed its acquisition of a 5.1MW capacity operational solar portfolio from Diversis Energía, S.L. and Grupo Enerpal.
Sonnedix has bought two ground-mounted solar plants that have been in operation since 2006 and 2008 respectively.
The company’s chief executive Axel Thiemann said that the transaction demonstrates a “long term commitment to the Spanish market”. The company has worked to increase its European footprint this year, buying a 3MW capacity solar plant in Sicily from ICS S.r.l, and a 15.7MW PV suite in Spain from Danish institutional investors last month. This latest acquisition brings Sonnedix’s Spanish solar capacity to 361MW.
Hive energy sells Spanish solar farm
29 March 2021: UK-based solar company Hive Energy has sold a solar farm project to Israel-based investor Noy Fund and green technology company Nofar Energy.
Hive has sold what it called in a statement this week its “landmark” 252MW Sabinar project, located in Cuenca, Spain. The project will be built in two phases, with Sabinar 1 and 2 expected to have a capacity of 169 MW and 83MW each. Construction is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2021.
It was acquired by a joint venture between Noy Fund and Nofar, called Andromeda Solutions, a year after Noy Fund closed its acquisition of another Hive project in the same area. The UK-based renewables company has a Spanish solar development pipeline of around 1.5GW, and also intends to develop 1.4GW of green hydrogen in the country.
Luis Martinez Hermida, Hive’s general manager in Spain, said completing the sale marks a “key milestone” for the company, as it turns its attention to growing “ambitiously” across its core markets and developing both its utility-scale solar and green hydrogen portfolio.