Solar manufacturing in the US at RE+: At the upcoming RE+ event in California, TaiyangNews has partnered with EUPD Research and RE+ to host a 1-day conference on Solar Made In USA How to manufacture solar wafers, cells & modules competitively in the United States. At this event on September 9, 2024, the PV Division CTO of Chinese deposition and thermal processing tools supplier Leadmicro, Prof. Jerry Liao, will talk about TOPCon cell production turnkey lines for the US market. The conference is open to all solar PV industry stakeholders and will provide valuable insights to those keen on entering the US solar PV manufacturing sector. Register for the event here.
$1.6 billion for solar and storage in Angola: The Board of Directors of the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) has approved a direct loan of a record $1.6 billion to support the construction of 65 solar PV mini-grids with energy storage in Angola. These mini-grids will power water collection, treatment, and purification systems in 4 southern provinces of the African nation. EXIM said this will increase access to electricity and potable drinking water in several provinces. At the same time, it will contribute to improving health, education, and social well-being of the denizens. The recipient of this loan is Florida-based Sun Africa, which is building these projects in Angola in partnership with ING Capital and local construction firm Omatapalo. Earlier in 2022, EXIM committed $2 billion for Sun Africa’s 728 MW solar project in Angola. It was then selected as one of the flagship projects under the G7-backed Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment (see US To Support 728 MW Solar PV In Angola).
Scatec partners with Toyota Tsusho in Tunisia: Norwegian renewable energy company Scatec has entered a partnership agreement with Japanese conglomerate Toyota Tsusho Group subsidiary Aeolus SAS to jointly develop and own renewable energy projects in Tunisia. Additionally, it has achieved financial close for the Sidi Bouzid and Tozeur solar projects in the country, each with 60 MW capacity, as part of the partnership agreement. Both these projects have secured 20-year power purchase agreements (PPA) with options for a 10-year extension with the Tunisian state utility Société Tunisienne de l’Electricité et du Gaz (STEG). Aeolus has now acquired a 49% stake in these assets with Scatec holding on to a 51% share. Scatec said that due to the Aeolus partnership, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment has selected these projects for the Financing Programme for Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) Model Projects in FY 2023. The entire 120 MW capacity will be built for an estimated project cost of €79 million ($88 million).
75 MW solar plant in South Africa: French energy group Engie has commenced construction of a 75 MW solar power plant in South Africa. To be built and operated in partnership with Pele Green Energy, the Grootspruit Solar PV Power Plant is located in Free State. Aurex and Ablon are on board as preferred contractors. Engie said this is one of the 2 power plants the company is currently constructing in South Africa. The other project is the Graspan Solar PV Plant, also with 75 MW of installed capacity, in Northern Cape. Both projects are scheduled to be connected to the national grid by the end of 2025.
Solar and storage project in Chad: Uganda-headquartered EPC company Aptech Africa recently commissioned a 78 kW standalone solar PV mini-grid system, accompanied by a 324 kWh battery storage in Chad. Inaugurated by Chad’s Minister of Water and Energy, Passalé Kanabé Marcelin, this facility will meet the energy needs of more than 100 people in local communities, schools and medical institutions. Aptech said this PV mini-grid serves as a model for replication and scalability across the country. The project is equipped with Ulica solar modules, Alpha ESS inverters and Lithium-ion batteries, it added.
990 kW solar plant for water treatment: The South African City of Cape Town recently completed a 990 kW solar PV plant at the Kraaifontein Wastewater Treatment Plant. Rolled out under the ‘ground-breaking’ small-scale embedded generation (SSEG) program of the Energy and Water and Sanitation directorates of Cape Town, the project is estimated to generate 1.5 GWh annually. It will ensure energy efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant. Cape Town plans to invest over ZAR 4 billion ($223.5 million) in electricity grid upgrades and maintenance over the next 3 years as part of the City's new budget for 2024/25. Part of the plan is adding up to 1 GW of independent power supply to end load-shedding in Cape Town over time, including enough energy to protect against 4 Eskom load-shedding stages by 2026. Earlier this year in February 2024, Cape Townrevealed its Energy Strategy for 2050 to deal with the power supply deficit. It includes a Cash for Power scheme to buy excess solar power from homes and businesses (see South African City To Offer Cash For Solar Power).