finance

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will invest AU$11 million (US$6.9 million) in Australian solar technology company SunDrive Solar to support the commercial scale-up of SunDrive’s novel solar cell metallisation technology.

Ingka Group, the owner of Swedish shopping chain IKEA, has acquired a 300MW solar PV project in Dâmbovița county, Romania.

US-based independent power producer Enfinity Global has closed €300 million (US$316 million) in equity funding from global alternative asset manager ICG, with another €100 million expected to close within a year.

German technology group and PV component manufacturer Heraeus has acquired an undisclosed stake in French PV manufacturing startup Holosolis to support the development of its planned 5GW module assembly plant in Hambach, France.

Tech and delivery giant Amazon has added over 1GW of solar PV and wind capacity to its operations in Europe so far in 2023.

The US Department of Energy (DOE) announced a new tax incentive last week (19th October) for solar and wind projects in low-income and “underserved” communities, as well as Tribal lands.

Financing for the solar sector grew 55% in the first nine months of 2023 compared with the equivalent period last year.

German renewable energy project developer ABO Wind has sold a 100MW solar PV project in South Africa’s North West Province to an unnamed investor.

The International Financing Corporation has signed a deal with Moroccan state-owned phosphate mining and fertiliser producer OCP Group to partially finance 400MW worth of solar PV.

Many large solar PV projects cross over First Nations land, and the representative body the First Nations Clean Energy Network (FNCEN) says that “proper and meaningful engagement with First Nations will be essential for the success of the renewable energy sector.”