Author: Arnes Biogradlija

By supporting the construction of a 100 MW wind farm near the town of Zhanatas in the south of the country, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and its partners are encouraging Kazakhstan’s further transition from coal-fired power plants to renewable energy power generation. Funding of up to $24.8 million (KZT equivalent) by the EBRD is the latest transaction under the Kazakhstan Renewables Framework II of the Bank. It will be complemented by a loan of $34.3 million from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a loan of $13.3 million from the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China…

French La Chapelle-Glain wind farm in the Pays de la Loire region, developed and built by P&T Technologie, a subsidiary of Energiequelle, has been successfully commissioned. The wind farm comprises five Enercon type E-92 turbines with a combined capacity of 11.75 MW and will in the future supply approximately 7,600 households. In September 2016, P&T Technology secured the building permit for the project, but initially had to face comprehensive legal action. Construction started in September 2019 following a promising conclusion. The last turbine was built in June of this year, amid the coronavirus crisis and a four-week construction halt. “In…

Neoen has completed the financial closure of the 460 MWp solar farm, Western Downs Green Power Hub, near Chinchilla in South West Queensland. Western Downs, owned entirely by Neoen, will be Australia’s largest solar farm, providing renewable energy to the transmission network of Powerlink and bringing major economic benefits to the country. Five months after Neoen secured a 352 MWp power purchase agreement with CleanCo Queensland, in one of Australia’s most important renewable contracts to date, Western Downs funding was completed. Over 30 percent of the energy needed for CleanCo to reach its 1 GW goal for new renewable energy…

The average cost of utility-scale battery storage for energy capacity decreased steadily from $2,152 per kilowatthour (kWh) in 2015 to $625 / kWh in 2018, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Battery storage systems store electricity generated or pulled directly from the electric power grid by generators and later redistribute the power as necessary. The United States had 869 megawatts (MW) of battery power capacity installed at the end of 2018 (the maximum amount of power a battery can provide at a given moment) and 1,236 megawatthours (MWh) of battery power capacity (the total amount of energy a battery…

A consortium led by Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 6 (MEIF6) has reached an agreement to acquire a portfolio of Romanian power assets owned by ČEZ Group. The Integrated Energy Infrastructure Portfolio comprises 86,665 kilometres of controlled electricity distribution network and 1,4 million residential and industrial connections in the South West of Romania for the electricity and gas supply sector. The assets acquired also include a forum for renewable energy with 622 MW of predominantly onshore wind farms and plans to further expand its portfolio. “Romania is one of Europe’s most dynamic economies, and its energy infrastructure is critical to supporting…

Neoen has been awarded 14 MW of combined capacity projects in the invitation to bid for ground-based photovoltaic plants and in the sixth call for tenders for onshore wind power capacity, both recently held by the French Government. In accordance with its develop-to-own model, this ability is distributed through two projects wholly owned by Neoen. The two active projects are located in the Aude and Yonne departments of France, in line with Neoen’s plan to build projects all over France. They are due to go into service at the beginning of 2023. “« I am proud of what we are doing here…

The Australian Government through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will jointly fund a new large-scale, grid-connected battery located in western Sydney. ARENA will provide up to $11.5 million in funding to TransGrid on behalf of the Australian Government to install a 50 MW / 75 MWh large-scale, grid-connected lithium ion battery at its Wallgrove substation in western Sydney. As part of their $75 million Emerging Energy Program, the NSW Government will also provide $10 million in support for the battery. Once completed, the $61.9 million Wallgrove Grid Battery, owned and operated by TransGrid, will provide the NSW transmission network…

GE Renewable Energy’s Haliade-X prototype, the world’s most powerful wind turbine operating to date, has been optimized and is now operating at a 13 MW power output. This prototype will undergo a series of tests during the following months to carry out various types of measurements and receive its type certificate in the coming months. Recently, the Haliade-X 13 MW, an improved version of the prototype that has been operating successfully in Rotterdam since November 2019, obtained its provisional type certificate and set a new world record by producing 288 MWh in a single day. This improved 13 MW version of…

X-ELIO has signed a landmark virtual power purchase agreement (VPPA) with Salesforce, its first renewable energy offtake agreement in Australia. The VPPA in the Western Downs region of Queensland is a key achievement for X-ELIO in Australia and its 200 MW Blue Grass solar farm. For Salesforce, the VPPA supports the target of achieving 100 percent renewable energy by 2022. Under the deal, the Blue Grass project will include certificates for generation to meet Salesforce’s criteria for renewable energy. It is estimated that the MWs contracted under the VPPA will effectively displace 80,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions over the duration of…

JinkoSolar has signed a Module Supply Agreement for the Kozani project in the north of Greece, which has been developed by juwi Hellas Renewable Energy Sources. Construction of the solar park will begin in November 2021 and will use 204 MW of DuPont’s transparent bifacial Swan modules. “We are delighted that juwi Hellas, one of the most professional and experienced EPC company globally, has once again placed their trust in the superior quality and reliable performance of our solar modules for this impressive new project in Greece. The Kozani project will become Europe’s benchmark for renewable energy in terms of competitively…