Southeast Asia & Oceania

Australia’s Labor Party will not support a deal on the Renewable Energy Target (RET) over its biennial reviews and the inclusion of wood waste from native forests, despite Coalition announcements that a deal had been reached.

Taiwanese crystalline silicon cell manufacturer Gintech Energy is to build a 350MW cell production facility in Thailand.

Business groups have called on Australia’s federal government and opposition to come to an agreement on the country’s Renewable Energy Targets (RET) to provide certainty for the renewables industry, but solar campaigners have said proposed targets are too low.

ET Solar has agreed to build a 70MWp solar power project in the Philippines with local partner, renewable energy developer Gate Solar Philippines.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has allocated up to US$15.2 million for a new research and development (R&D) round set to help industry-partnered projects that are looking to develop and commercialise renewable energy technologies.

Australia’s anti-dumping commission has terminated its investigation into alleged dumping of Chinese-made PV modules imported into the country.

The 3.275 MW Gatton Solar Research Facility at the University of Queensland (UQ) has been completed.

Major tier-one PV manufacturer JinkoSolar has finally said its first major overseas solar cell and module manufacturing facility is based in Penang, Malaysia.

AGL Energy’s 102MW Nyngan Solar Plant in western New South Wales is expected to begin its first generation next month, and be fully operational by July 2015.

Australia’s environment minister Greg Hunt has ordered an inquiry into the quality of solar system installations.