Europe

pv magazine’s UP campaign aims to highlight industry movers who embrace carbon reduction and the circular economy in their operations and Swiss BIPV manufacturer 3S Solar Plus boasts an impressive sustainability record.

State-owned power company Elektrani na Severna Makedonija, which is developing a 10 MW solar project at its coal plant in Oslomej, is planning to stop seeking a coal alternative to its depleted lignite mine and to instead expand the solar scheme to fully replace an ageing 125 MW thermal plant.

Scientists from Russia’s NUST MISIS institute and the University of Rome have discovered a two dimensional titanium carbide can improve the performance of a halide perovskite solar cell when added in microscopic amounts across the various cell layers.

The Chinese module manufacturer has provided Cheetah panels for the Talasol project in the municipality of Talaván, near Cáceres in the southern Spanish region of Extremadura.

Seraphim Solar System Co has turned to an existing Italian partner to try and secure a slice of the country’s PV market, poised for a multi-gigawatt boost within a decade.

Scatec Solar has raised NOK1.32 billion (US$146 million) in a private placement for its global solar pipeline.

Solarpack has witnessed gains across several financial indicators so far this year, after progress across various construction contracts in Europe and South America.

Risen Energy has announced a 148 MW module order will be completed this month as the Ningbo-based company expects to ship almost 1 GW of product to the country this year.

The advent of permitting restrictions on wind power projects has opened the door for PV in the pending auction for renewable generation facilities with a capacity of more than 1 MW. Wind power dominates Polish clean energy and no solar projects were successful in last year’s exercise.

The French development agency and the environment ministry have a €1.6 million budget to finance novel off-grid projects from companies and NGOs operating with local partners in Africa.

Heineken is to fully power its Spanish operations via a new utility-scale solar plant, set to be developed by energy giant Iberdrola.

Top UK solar investor Bluefield Solar Income Fund (BSIF) has hailed the advent of subsidy-free utility-scale solar in the UK, announcing a number of agreements to bring forward unsubsidised projects in the country.

The nation’s political parties have found agreement on a green electricity package which is expected to create stable conditions for the next three years. From next year, €36 million will be made available annually for the further support of PV systems and energy storage.

The global expansion of PV, wind power and other clean energies will see double-digit growth this year as solar continues to lead the pack.

A handful of European states have moved to bankroll various World Bank clean energy initiatives, with US$100 million of French and Dutch money set to back PV in Sub-Saharan Africa.