Monday 20 November 2017 – Weekly Digest
Overview of the most important solar headlines of the week that just ended.
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Longi seeking to open US manufacturing facility
With the looming solar tariffs set to impact foreign – primarily Asian – solar products, Chinese solar manufacturer Longi Green Energy Technology has set course towards opening local manufacturing capacity in the US. They’re evaluating multiple sites for a cell and module plant and considering potential state incentives.
Polysilicon shortage driving up solar costs
After environmental regulators in China shut down several factories, the shrunk availability of polysilicon has driven up prices for the raw material as much as 35%, leading to higher production costs for solar cells & panels.
Brazil sets $100/MWh ceiling price for PV in December auction
Sharing the same ceiling price as thermoelectric and biomass proposals, Solar PV projects have been assigned a $100/MWh maximum bidding price for the power auction that Brazil’s energy regulator ANEEL will host on December 18. Wind and hydro received different ceiling prices (resp. $83/MWh and $85/MWh).
China’s curtailment problems expected to drag on
The booming country’s target to alleviate renewable power waste due to insufficient grid (connection) capacity remains under pressure, the National Energy Administration (NEA) stated. Especially in Gansu and Xinjiang provinces the situation remains dire, where over 20% of solar power was wasted in the first 3 quarters of 2017. The NEA did again confirm their target of putting a stop to all wastage by 2020.
Belectric lands EPC-contract for 120MW PV plant in Israel
Together with local engineering firm Solel Boneh, Belectric will be working on, what is said to be, Israel’s largest solar power plant, boasting 120MW of capacity. After completion Belectric will also provide O&M services for the project.
Poland cancels December renewables auction
The Eastern European country was planning to tender off around 150MW worth of renewable energy generation capacity by year’s end, but now decided to cancel all energy auctions, citing changes in EU state aid rules as the reason for the move.