Europe

Midsummer AB has been awarded an EU grant of EUR 32 million to build a 200-MW CIGS solar cell factory in Sweden. The CIGS solar cells are lightweight, flexible and able to be installed on lightweight roofs. The project is expected to solidify Midsummer AB's foothold in the European solar market.

Akuo recently inaugurated O'MEGA 1 Bis, a 22MW extension of the power plant creating a plethora of new opportunities for local communities. With the extension already generating 25,500GWh of electricity and a successful crowdfunding initiative, the project also serves as an initiative for local agriculture.

MCPV announces plans to build 3 GW solar cell and module factory in Netherlands, with SolarNL receiving €412 million in grants and loans for the project. Factory will employ heterojunction cell technology for up to 26.5% efficiency, and tandem perovskite-silicon modules for over 30% efficiency. Expected to start operations in 2021, with the capacity expanding to 3 GW by 2026.

Forestalia secures EUR 65 million from IKAV Group to construct 19 wind and solar projects in Aragon, Spain. Banco de Sabadell structures pre-construction debt for major equipment and construction expenses. Forestalia targets 1.2GW of direct operations in the next few years.

FREYR Battery (NYSE:FREY) has been awarded a €100 million grant from the European Commission’s Innovation Fund to build a Giga Arctic factory in Norway. Tom Einar Jensen, CEO, expressed his excitement for the project, which will help unlock GWh scale capacity for next generation battery production. Construction begins in June 2022.

Eku Energy and Renera Energy have signed an agreement granting 1GW of battery project rights to Eku Energy in Italy. The agreement will help Italy reach its 2030 renewable energy target of 65%. Eku and Renera will collaborate to deliver secure and reliable energy storage solutions. Italy is expected to become the 3rd largest energy storage market by 2030.

L&G NTR Clean Power (Europe) Fund partners with NordLB to finance 3 Spanish solar projects, supplying power for 51,424 homes. Additionally, the Fund acquires a 6-turbine onshore wind project in Narbonne, France, with power for 5500 households. Working with LGIM to accelerate energy transition in Europe.

Italian startup Barrel has developed a solar and storage solution that comes in an "oil" barrel. Get up to 6 kW of output, 5.6 kW hybrid inverter and 3.55 kWh Li-ion battery for $3,300. Perfect for powering large apartments and already sent to conflict zones and remote areas.

Trina Solar, a leading solar module manufacturer, has signed an 800MW supply deal with Aquila for PV panels to be used in Southern Europe. Projects are due for delivery in 2023 and 2024. More collaborations are possible in other markets.

Britvic and Atrato have signed a 10-year PPA for energy from a 28MW solar farm. 75% of Britvic's GB operations will be powered by the solar energy, and a CPPA in Ireland provides 100% renewable electricity for Ballygowan. The project is expected to be commissioned in 2024.

Elgin Energy has sold a 100 MW PV portfolio of solar projects in UK to Pennon Group, estimated to require GBP 85 million investment. These projects are projected to generate low-cost electricity and contribute to UK's net-zero emissions by 2050. Also, Elgin sold 521 MW of solar & 70 MW of battery projects in 2020, to be operational by 2025.

Energiekontor has reached financial close on a 60MW solar park in Brandenburg, Germany, with construction starting in Q3 2024 and 68GWh of green electricity generated in its 1st year of operation. It also has the option to develop solar parks with a total capacity of 225MW in Germany and France.

CEE Group acquires a 103.5-MWp solar project from Ecorus Group in the Netherlands, increasing their solar portfolio to over 350 MWp. Fledderbosch solar park to be commissioned in 2022 with a 15-year fixed tariff under SDE++ support scheme. Ecorus responsible for EPC and first partnership between two companies.

Les Mousquetaires, a leading agri-food producer in France, have signed a 95 MWp photovoltaic PPA to supply electricity to 1,000 of their facilities. This is the second largest corporate PPA in France to date, and a major step towards their carbon footprint reduction goals.

Ib Vogt has sold a 98MW portfolio of solar projects in Italy to French solar energy producer Rubis Photosol. This multi-gigawatt portfolio includes 10 PV and agrivoltaic projects in the Lazio region, two of which have reached ready-to-build status. With eight projects expected to reach RTB in the next year, this is Ib Vogt's first sale from its Italian portfolio. 380MW of additional projects are currently permitted.