Asia & Oceania

India’s latest 400MW solar auction saw limited competition compared to recent tenders with just six bidders for the PV capacity in an Andhra Pradesh solar park.

Integrated power firm and utility Origin Energy has signed a 13-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with solar developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) to offtake electricity from the planned 100MW Clare Solar Farm in north Queensland.

The share of renewables, excluding hydropower, in India’s energy mix has reached 5.7% as of February this year, up from 4.97% in 2012/13, according to data released by the Central Electricity Authority.

India’s Ministry of new and Renewable Energy (MNRE) is moving forward with its off-grid solar programme, as part of the National Solar Mission (NSM), after a year of the utility-scale sector stealing the limelight.

Solar investment firm GSSG Solar has announced the financial close and ground breaking of its new 47MW PV project in Japan.

India-based companies have dominated the latest solar auction for 350MW in the state of Telangana with winning tariffs ranging between INR4.66-4.77/kWh (~US$0.07).

Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is targeting 100% renewable energy by 2020 instead of the previous goal of 90%.

India-based solar EPC firm Sterling & Wilson (S&W) has been awarded EPC and O&M contracts for 350MW of solar projects in India by Canada-based developer SkyPower.

Australia’s opposition party Labor has released its ‘Climate Change Action Plan’ to the approval of solar advocates in the country.

Leading ‘Silicon Module Super League’ (SMSL) member Trina Solar said it had achieved a new world record for a large-area Interdigitated Back Contact (IBC) solar cell.