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Masdar Secures $188 Million Funding For Jordan’s Largest Solar Project
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Masdar Secures $188 Million Funding For Jordan’s Largest Solar Project

by Saurabh Mahapatra
written by Saurabh Mahapatra

After a shock setback in the Saudi Arabia solar power tender, Masdar Clean Energy has something to cheer about as its solar power project in Jordan secured funding.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC) recently announced that it sanctioned funding worth $188 million for a 342 megawatt (DC) Baynouna solar power project being developed by Masdar in Jordan. The project is the largest solar power project in Jordan. 

IFC will provide $54 million, while the balance of $134 million will be secured through other agencies, including Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Dutch Development bank FMO, and Europe Arab Bank as B lenders and OFID, the OPEC Fund for International Development and German development bank DEG. IFC also played a major role in financial closure for the 117 megawatt Tafila wind farm, the largest wind energy project in Jordan, also developed by Masdar. Finnish asset manager Taaleri Oyj recently acquired a 30% stake in the project.

The Baynouna solar power park is expected to be commissioned in 2019 and will fulfill the electricity needs of around 110,000 homes and offset an estimated 360,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emission every year. The total cost of development of the project is estimated at $260 million. Once commissioned, the project will supply electricity to the National Electric Power Company through a long-term power purchase agreement. With an estimated 563.3 gigawatt hours of electricity generation each year, the project will meet around 3% of Jordan’s annual energy consumption.

Jordan has set a target to procure 15% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2020, and hopes to reach an installed renewable energy capacity target of 1.8 gigawatts by that year. The two projects being developed by Masdar will account for 18% of that capacity.

Masdar recently lost out in a 300 megawatt solar power tender in Saudi Arabia despite having quoted the lowest-ever solar power tariff of ¢1.78/kWh.

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Indian State Of Rajasthan To Achieve 7 Gigawatts Of Solar Capacity By March 2019

by Saurabh Mahapatra
written by Saurabh Mahapatra

In just over a year’s time, the west Indian state of Rajasthan will have an installed solar power capacity of 7 gigawatts, government officials have said. The feat, if achieved, will be substantial, as only a handful of countries today have a solar power capacity of 7 gigawatts or more.

Rajasthan is a pioneer in solar power development in India. The state is dominated by the That Desert which offers large swaths of wasteland. The state also has some of the best locations in India in terms of solar radiation.

While Rajasthan did lose some ground to neighboring Gujarat and some southern states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Telangana in the pace of solar power capacity addition, it is set to reverse that trend now.

By March of 2019, the state is expected to have 1,755 megawatts of solar power capacity just from the Bhadla solar power park. All this capacity has already been allocated to project developers, with 740 megawatts of capacity already operational. Last year, the park witnessed the lowest tariff bids ever for solar power projects in India. A total capacity of 1,000 megawatts was allocated to project developers at tariffs as low as Rs 2.43/kWh (¢3.8/kWh). A final phase of 500 megawatts of capacity is yet to be auctioned.

In addition to the 740 megawatts of capacity operational at Bhadla solar power park, Rajasthan has also seen addition of 1,592 megawatts of capacity over the last four years. Several of these projects were commissioned under the central government’s National Solar Mission which initially had a target of 22 gigawatts of operational solar power capacity by March 2022. The target has now been increased to 100 gigawatts by the same time.

India’s current operational solar power capacity stands at over 12 gigawatts.

Apart from the Bhadla solar power park, the Rajasthan government, in partnership with private companies, is developing at least three more parks with a cumulative capacity of 3,250 megawatts. The Bhadla solar power park is expected to be fully operational with 2,250 megawatts by March 2019, while the other three solar power parks are expected to be operational by the end of 2019.

While state government officials claim that the Bhadla solar power park will be the largest solar power park in the world, Pavagada solar power park in Karnataka would likely take that label, with a planned capacity of 2,700 megawatts.

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Here’s What An 850 Megawatt, 4 Million Panel Solar Farm Looks Like

by Guest Author
written by Guest Author

Originally published on Climate Central.
By Brian Kahn

On the Tibetan Plateau in eastern China, 4 million solar panels silently soak up the sun as part of the Longyangxia Dam Solar Park. It’s the largest solar farm in the world, spreading over 10 square miles of the high desert landscape.

The complex sprung into existence in 2013 and has been rapidly expanding ever since. Satellite imagery curated by NASA’s Earth Observatory chronicles its growth from a cluster of panels to a sprawling solar farm that looks like a giant, angular thought bubble as of January 2017.

Credit: NASA Earth Observatory

Unlike the world’s largest ball of twine, it’s more than just a roadside attraction. The installation currently has the capacity to generate 850 megawatts of electricity, or enough to power roughly 140,000 U.S. homes.

The Longyangxia Dam Solar Park is one piece of the massive renewable energy revolution taking place in China. The country invested $103 billion into renewables in 2015, the last year with data available. That helped the world set a renewable investment high water mark of $286 billion.

According to Greenpeace’s Energydesk, preliminary 2016 data show China installed the equivalent of one and a half soccer fields of solar panels every hour. That puts the country on track to meet its 2020 renewable goals sometime in 2018.

The renewables targets line up with China’s international climate commitments. The government previously announced it would lower the carbon intensity of its economy 40-45 percent below 2005 levels. Under the Paris Agreement, China has pledged to peak its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030.

Looking ahead, the government announced in early January that it plans to spend $361 billion on renewable power generation from now through 2020. The influx of cash is expected to help China produce a total of 110 gigawatts of solar power and 210 gigawatts of wind power by 2020.

The increase in investment coincides with a 40 percent drop in the cost of installing utility-scale solar in China since 2010. Solar is expected to become even cheaper in the coming years, further creating more bang for China’s buck (or yuan as the case may be).

Despite the growth in capacity, China has struggled to balance demand and production. An economic slowdown has caused some solar and wind farms to sit idle or produce energy that can’t be used. Local governments and strong coal interests also present obstacles to China’s transition from the world’s biggest carbon polluter to an economy largely powered by clean energy.

China continues to see its emissions rise due largely to heavy coal use, which will increase the risks associated with climate change. The Longyangxia Dam Solar Park is a step toward ensuring China has the capacity to change that.

Reprinted with permission.

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rooftop solar
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Oregon Legislature Considers Extension Of Renewable Energy Tax Credit

by Steve Hanley
written by Steve Hanley

rooftop solar

Progressive politics are the rule in the Pacific Northwest, and that includes so-called “sunset provisions” in local and state legislation. The theory is that policies should expire automatically after a certain amount of time has elapsed. If the policy still enjoys popular support, it can be re-enacted. The current Renewable Energy Tax Credit for people who install residential solar systems on their homes is due to expire in a little over a year on January 1, 2018, but the Oregon legislature is considering extending the RETC “for two years or until a replacement program is adopted.”

The Oregon Solar Energy Industries Association has made extending RETC a priority during the 2017 legislative session. It says a two-year extension is a “good starting point,” but wants to go further “to align with timelines set for the federal Investment Tax Credit.” Federal law authorizes a 30% tax credit for the cost of a solar power system through the end of 2019. After that, the credit drops to 22% in 2020, then 22% for the next three years after that.

According to a recent Public Utility Commission report, RETC cost the state of Oregon $55.8 million from 2001 through 2015 and resulted in 41.9 megawatts of installed renewable energy capacity — about 75% of it for rooftop solar. Residential solar has been growing at a steady rate in Oregon, but it hasn’t taken off the way utility-scale solar has. GTM Research says Oregon saw 88 megawatts of utility-scale solar installed in the first 9 months of the year, compared to 9 megawatts of residential solar.

Source: Portland Business Journal | Photo credit: Legend Solar

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Singapore Testing Ten Floating Solar Panel Systems (w/Video)

by Steve Hanley
written by Steve Hanley

Singapore, located at the southern end of the Malay peninsular, is anxious to take advantage of the abundant sunshine it receives to make clean renewable solar power. But there’s a problem. The small nation-state does not have a lot of land available for solar farms. Instead, it is investigating the use of floating solar panels. In fact, once it has achieved its goals, it will boast the largest floating solar panel installation in the world.

Floating solar panels in Singapore

Singapore authorities have begun testing ten different solar panels systems to see which will be selected for the final project. When complete, it will cover all or parts of 17 reservoirs and other bodies of water. The testing is designed to do more than determine which panels are the most efficient. It is also looking to answer questions about what effect covering the surface of the water will have on evaporation, the temperature of the water, and the impact surface shading may have on the aquatic creatures who live in the water. Reducing evaporation is important to Singapore, which has a limited supply of fresh water for its citizens.

The Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore will help in the evaluation of the different systems being used in the floating solar panels. The institute will work together with Singapore’s Economic Development Board and its Public Utilities Board, which is the primary agency behind the project. Total cost of the system is expected to be $11 million. Altogether, there are eight local and international entities participating in the floating solar panel project.

“Given our geography, solar photovoltaic systems are a key technology in Singapore’s efforts to harness renewable energy. Floating photovoltaic systems, those installed over our water bodies, not only help to overcome land constraints but also have the potential to reduce evaporative losses from our reservoirs,” says Masagos Zulkifli, the minister of Singapore’s Environment and Water Resources, as reported by Mental Floss.

Singapore is much known for being a leader in environmental policy. It is the first nation to promote the idea of covering the exterior of buildings with gardens and green walls. That idea has spread to many other parts of the world, including the United States.  Floating solar panel farms have been tried elsewhere but Singapore will take the idea to the next level as it seeks sustainable strategies to power its economy.

Source: iTech Post  Photo credit: YouTube

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EU Votes Against Provisional Duties On Chinese Solar Imports (18–4–5)

by Zach
written by Zach

Rather than take the course the United States took, EU member states have overwhelmingly voted against imposing provisional anti-dumping duties on solar imports from China. The vote was 18 opposed, 4 in favor, and 5 abstaining. A proposed 47% average anti-dumping duty could still be implemented (this vote just concerned provisional duties). But that is far from certain, especially following this week’s vote.

Photo Credit: R/DV/RS / Foter.com / CC BY

Photo Credit: R/DV/RS / Foter.com / CC BY

The vote follows intense lobbying from China as well as from European solar installers and their representatives and allies.

As noted yesterday, German leadership has been especially public about its preference not to impose the duties, as have UK leaders. Furthermore, 15 solar trade associations within the EU have expressed their opposition to such duties.

Nonetheless, European Trade Commissioner Karel de Gucht is expected to push forward the plan to impose the 47% average duties, and is expected to publish them in early June.

Ray Noble, the UK Solar Trade Association’s PV Specialist, notes: “We understand that under EU rules, despite a clear majority vote, the Commissioner can still go ahead and impose these duties. I suggest David Cameron and Angela Merkel work together to sort out these absurd rules and remove this lingering market uncertainty, so that industry can get on with installing low cost, clean and affordable solar energy.”

Notably, in contrast to the UK and Germany, some of Europe’s largest countries (and solar leaders) voted for the provision duties, such as Spain, Italy, and France.

We’ll keep you updated….

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