Asia & Oceania

Japanese telecommunications provider Softbank, which recently purchased US mobile company Sprint for US$20 billion, is considering the construction of a 40MW solar power plant in central Japan.

The petition made by state-owned electricity distributor Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL) to cut the rate it pays for energy from 88 solar projects by 28% has been rejected.

Seven private companies and one public joint venture have received a letter of intent for 230MW of solar projects in Uttar Pradesh.

A quiet solar “revolution” in Australia over the past three years means 11% of the population now use PV technology, a study by the country’s Climate Commission claims.

Irish renewables developer Mainstream Renewable Power has signed an equity investment deal worth €100 million (US$133 million) with Japan’s Marubeni Corporation trading company.

Clenergy has supplied 24MW of its mounting equipment for a rooftop PV system in China, and also completed its first project in Vietnam.

The European Commission (EC) has been accused of using biased information from Europressedienst, the German-based market and media consultancy that provided statistics for the EU/China dumping dispute.

The Punjab government signed MoU's for solar investment with a consortium of countries to rapidly combat Pakistan’s energy crisis.

A groundbreaking ceremony took place on Tuesday for a 25.8MW solar plant which is to be built in Japan, on the site of a former golf course in the south west of the country, by Japanese home building corporation Sekisui House.

Chinese PV manufacturers JA Solar and Powerway are to join forces to target South Africa’s burgeoning solar market.