Markets

Maxeon Solar Technologies, the producer of the Maxeon and SunPower solar module brands, is raising capital from a USD 157.4 million ($237 million) underwriting of shares and a separate USD 42 million ($63 million) private placement with TCL Zhonghuan.

The Energy Security Board has been scrapped with Australia’s federal, state and territory energy ministers opting to replace it with a new “fit-for-purpose” advisory panel that is better able to meet the challenges of the energy transformation taking place in the national electricity market.

As part of its long-term plan to transition from coal-fired power generation to clean energy New South Wales has launched another renewable energy tender seeking at least 950 MW of wind and solar capacity and 550 MW of long-duration storage.

Chinese researchers have developed a solar cell using CsSnI3 perovskite, known for its unique phase transitions and near-IR emissions. By simulating the device with various electron transport layers (ETLs) and hole transport layers (HTLs), they determined that the optimal cell could be created using a titanium oxide (TiO2) ETL and a nickel(II) oxide (NiOx) HTL.

The Vietnamese government has announced a USD 135 billion ($200 billion) energy strategy, with half of the country’s residential rooftops to be equipped with PV systems under a net-metering scheme. The nation also aims to become a power exporter by the end of the decade.

The Indian solar sector experienced major shifts in market share during 2022, driven by policy changes such as the implementation of basic customs duty on cells and modules and the introduction of an approved list of models and manufacturers, according to Mercom.

An influential Australian union will propose a “significant, punitive tax” on the export of raw critical minerals as a means of promoting more value-adding onshore. The news comes as longstanding trade allies voice criticism over Australia’s growing momentum towards domestic manufacturing.

The Northern Territory government has granted the final approvals for Core Lithium’s BP33 underground lithium mine, part of the company’s ongoing operations in Darwin.

India will use its internal market to scale up hydrogen projects, with Germany as a possible export destination. As part of a broader strategy, the countries will collaborate on a financial and technological level on energy transition projects.

The first large-scale battery storage project connected to Western Australia’s main grid has only just commenced operational testing and already plans are in place to build an even bigger battery at the site as the state government seeks to harness surging rooftop solar resources to meet its power needs as it prepares to dump coal power.