juwi Shizen bags EPC order for 42MW Japan solar plant
9 July: juwi Shizen Energy, a JV between Shizen Energy and juwi, has received an order for EPC services on the 42MW Sano Tadacho Photovoltaic Plant owned by Sun Station Hikari X, of which Sonnedix Japan KK and Sonnedix Power Holdings Limited are investors.
This power plant will be constructed on a site located in Tochigi Prefecture’s Sano City. Annual output is expected to be approximately 44,300MWh. Construction work is to start in July 2018 and is expected to finish in winter 2020.
Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) will provide non-recourse project financing for the construction phase.
Financiers plan renewables for 9,300 Solomon Islanders
5 July: Several financiers are supporting a programme to bring renewable energy to the Solomon Islands and reduce its dependency on fossil fuels.
The US$19.95 million Electricity Access and Renewable Energy Expansion Project will be funded through a US$5.55 million credit and a US$4.75 million grant from the International Development Association (IDA), the World Bank’s fund for the most in-need countries; a US$7.1 million grant from the Strategic Climate Fund – Scaling-Up Renewable Energy in Low Income Countries Program; a US$946,750 grant from the Global Environment Facility; and a US$1.6 million grant from the Small Island Developing States Initiative.
More than 9,300 Solomon Islanders will benefit from new or improved electricity services, including renewable energy sources such as solar. The project will support the Solomon Islands government to boost renewable energy generation and increase access to grid-supplied electricity.
The project will deliver renewable energy hybrid mini-grids, electricity connections in low-income areas, and new grid-connected solar power. The focus will be on providing electricity connections to households, small businesses, and community infrastructure such as schools and health centres, throughout Honiara and surrounding towns.
In Solomon Islands, less than 20% of the population has access to any electrical power supply, and when electricity is available, it is costly and unreliable.
World Bank to provide US$250 million loan for electricity distribution sector reforms in Rajasthan, India
5 July: The World Bank has approved a US$250 million loan to support the government of Rajasthan in improving the performance of its electricity distribution sector under the state’s 24×7 Power for All program.
The Second Programmatic Electricity Distribution Reform Development Policy Loan for Rajasthan is the second in the series of two operations planned for a comprehensive turnaround of Rajasthan’s electricity distribution sector. The first loan closed in March 2017.
Distribution companies (Discoms) in Rajasthan provide electricity to about 9.5 million customers. However, a combination of high generation costs, inefficiencies in the distribution sector and an accumulation of long-delayed tariff adjustments has resulted in several years of continuing losses for the Discoms leading to a total outstanding debt of INR780 billion (US$11 billion) as on July 2015.
The program will improve the creditworthiness of Discoms to support the government’s goal of providing electricity access to all households, improve service delivery, and enable private investment of renewable energy.
