Italian utility Enel has been forced to close the solar manufacturing operations of subsidiary 3SUN after Italian government directives on 22 March 2020 ordered closure of all non-essential production facilities nationwide.
Bilateral revolving credit facility of €55m from Intesa Sanpaolo will fund construction of 12 PV projects in Sicily, Apulia and Lazio, reportedly among country's first subsidy-free projects.
Market research firm IHS Markit believes the PV inverter replacement market will increase by around 40% in 2020, creating an 8.7GW need outside new global installations.
Italian giant's new climate strategy leans heavily on dramatic renewables ramp-up and on company reaching peak oil and gas production within five years.
Funding will back 18 PV plants in Spain of around 900MWp capacity awarded to Zero-E Solar in a 2017 auction, alongside various clean energy projects in the Netherlands, Austria and Italy.
Italian media are reporting arrests have been made after a probe launched into how a huge number of solar panels earmarked for recycling were subsequently re-labelled and sold to some unspecified African countries.
Project in Sardinia (5MW) emerges as sole PV winner of 500MW auction dominated by wind power (495MW) but industry representatives believe solar future is subsidy-free.
Milan-based F2i inks deal to fully buy Madrid-based developer from financial owner Cerberus, unlocking access to a 1GW solar pipeline in bustling Southern European market.
Utility-scale solar moves now quickly following one another in country increasingly targeted by subsidy-free proponents, heralding revival of market paralysed years ago by policy swings.
