Lightsource bp partners with Contact Energy to pursue large-scale solar in New Zealand
In a big week for solar in the land of the long white cloud, Lightsource bp has announced a 50/50 partnership with New Zealand’s Contact Energy to pursue a large-scale solar portfolio in the country, generation which Contact Energy will purchase through a power purchase agreement.
Google exec backs Helios Energy’s New Zealand solar pipeline
A collaboration of United States and New Zealand developers, Helios Energy received private investment from Google executive Urs Hölzle and is setting its sights on grid-scale solar developments in New Zealand.
Panasonic combines fuel cells, batteries, PV to power factory in Japan
Japan’s Panasonic claims its new pilot solar-plus-hydrogen facility marks the first attempt to create a factory powered by 100% renewables, via the full-scale use of hydrogen.
India vies to become global lithium battery recycling hub
Nitin Gupta, chief executive officer and co-founder, Attero Recycling, speaks to pv magazine about the supply chain concerns for lithium battery storage manufacturing in India, current battery recycling scenario and Attero’s capacity.
European Commission could call in Australian investor Macquarie’s bid for French developer
Australia’s Macquarie is leading a consortium that has reportedly tabled a €2.5 billion ($3.65 billion) bid for a clean energy business formed by French private equity houses InfraVia and Eurazeo.
Polysilicon maker predicts five year shortage of solar raw material
TBEA-owned Xinte Energy says it cannot produce polysilicon quickly enough to meet demand and wants shareholders to back its bid to quadruple its manufacturing capacity by mid 2024.
Natural hydrogen: how the potential wellspring works and why companies are pouncing
With its promise of cheap, easy ‘god molecules’ flowing inexhaustibly from the ground, it’s no wonder natural hydrogen is piquing interest. Sometimes referred to as ‘gold’ or ‘white’ hydrogen, Avon McIntyre, executive director of HyTerra, an Australian company in the space, told pv magazine Australia natural hydrogen projects should have smaller carbon footprints than sprawling green hydrogen plays and, moreover, would be ready quicker. Enticing as it sounds, unknowns remain.
3.5 GW Indonesian solar plus storage facility proposes export to Singapore
A partnership between Quantum Power Asia and Berlin-based ib vogt is proposing a 3.5 GW solar and storage facility in Riau, Indonesia, an archipelago of islands south of Singapore. The AUD$6.7 billion potential project aims to export the generated solar to the Singaporean city-state by 2032, meeting 8% of its electricity needs.
Storage projections for 2050
The US National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) final report on the future of storage presents “key learnings” from a series of six in-depth studies.
Australia’s critical minerals inventory boosted significantly in 2020, vanadium up 24%
Australia’s inventories of critical materials for batteries have seen major increases recently, with vanadium up 23%, lithium up 8%, rare earths up 4% and platinum group elements up 185% in the year to December 2020.
