investment

Thai fossil fuels company, Banpu, said it has purchased 75.8MW of solar PV plants in China as it pursues a goal of making renewable energy 20% of its power generation business by 2025.

Despite claims by the company and automatic acceptance by the mainstream media, SunEdison’s position as the ‘world's largest renewable energy developer’ almost came to fruition in 2015.

Solar capacity grew by 47GW (26%) during 2015 as a result of module prices dropping as much as 80% over the same period, according to the latest data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Thai coal mining company Banpu will invest up to US$170 million in Japan’s solar market, according to a report by news agency Reuters.

A US judge has approved fines and ordered BP to pay compensation for a long list of charges relating to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of six years ago, amounting to US$18 billion.

Recharge A/S, an investment fund specialising in renewables, will take a 50.1% stake in a €24 million (US$26.7 million) micro grid on a remote Portuguese island that could prove the validity of such projects as an asset class.

In common with every other PV market in the world as it matures, attaining grid parity for the technology is the ultimate goal for Japan. As an electricity market in general, meeting electrical supply with demand will of course become ever-more important.

Renewable energy was the basis of half of all global power transactions last year with 245 deals adding up to US$68 billion and a particular focus on wind and solar, according to a new report from EY.

Energy developer Latin America Power (LAP) has filed a suit in a New York court to secure US$150 million in project assets from SunEdison, after the planned purchase of LAP fell through due to SunEdison’s financial woes, according to reports.

The December climate deal in Paris is set to trigger a surge in the global green bond market, with issuances expected to surpass US$50 billion this year, rating agency Moody’s has said.