Israel’s Public Utility Authority has awarded licences to build two solar thermal power plants with a combined capacity of 180MW. The larger of the plants has a capacity of 120MW and is being installed by Israel’s largest construction firm, Shikun & Binui. The contract for the smaller, 60MW station was handed out to a subsidiary of US investment company Two Sigma.
PDI Global will provide an electric energy storage system to a social housing project in the Democratic Republic of Congo. With the intention to supply at least 300,000 homes with solar power, a contract with Korea-based Leo Motors has been concluded. Leo Motors will supply 20,000 units of e-Box to the project.
Masdar and Fraunhofer Gesellschaft advised that they will be collaborating to construct a façade test centre (FTC) in Masdar City. Fraunhofer’s Institute for Building Physics IBP and Fraunhofer ISE will supply planning and supervision services for the test centre. The FTC aims to support designers and contractors in selecting the buildings materials that will help reduce energy waste in the UAE and the MENA region.
The South Africa Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded a joint venture between SolarReserve, a US developer of utility-scale solar power projects, the Kensani Group, an empowered infrastructure player in the Southern African market and Intikon Energy, a South African developer of renewable energy projects, preferred bidder status. Installing two 75MW plants, the consortium’s new status will give them the right to proceed with executing a 20 year government-supported power purchase agreement with the South African power utility company, Eskom.
With almost perfect conditions for solar technology deployment, a significant energy need and weak infrastructure, South Africa as highlighted in a detailed EPIA report last year should be one of the best emerging markets. However, lack of financial support was said to be the key obstacle. That my now be changing with one example of funding being made available with the support of the European Investment Bank and Investec to the tune of €100 million for the promotion of clean energy generation and energy efficiency initiatives in South Africa.
Nigeria’s National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI) recently revealed plans to develop a 7.5MW solar panel manufacturing plant in Karshi, Abuja so that Nigeria can begin to cut its dependency on the importation of solar panels. The project is being developed through a joint venture with an undisclosed foreign partner.
Work will begin next year on the first phase of the 500MW Desertec concentrated solar power (CSP) plant in Morocco, according to German newspaper Süddeutschen Zeitung. The initial development stage will cost around €600 million and add 150MW of capacity to the yet-to-be-named site.
Although better known as one of the world's largest suppliers of oil, Saudi Arabia continues to join the solar age with the inauguration of one of its first larger-scale photovoltaic power plants on October 1. The facility, a 500KW system comprised of Solar Frontier CI(G)S thin-film modules, is located on Farasan Island and was installed by the Saudi Electricity Co. and Solar Frontier's parent company, Showa Shell Sekiyu (which is partially owned by the Saudi Arabian Oil Co.).
In a bid to generate 5% of the emirate’s electricity needs from renewable sources by 2030, Dubai authorities were cited by a Reuters India report as being on the verge of announcing details of a large solar power plant in the region. Saeed Mohammed al-Tayer, vice chairman of Dubai's Supreme Council of Energy, has said that although the 5% target will comprise several forms of renewable energy sources, “[t]his is mainly going to be solar”.
Solar Millennium has claimed that its Kuraymat, Egypt solar-thermal power plant, in operation since June, has been surpassing field performance by 8%. The parabolic trough technology hybrid plant holds an overall 150MW electric capacity and in addition to solar energy, uses natural gas to allow for 24-hour operation.
