Asia

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has announced plans to develop an $30 billion (USD 19,95 billion) green hydrogen production hub on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, while a new research study shows the feasibility of gas-to-hydrogen pipeline conversion in Western Australia.

Scientists in Singapore have developed a methodology to calculate the levelised cost of hydrogen in green hydrogen facilities powered by photovoltaics, emphasising the need for a levelised cost of storage (LCOH) below USD 10/kg ($15/kg) to enable green hydrogen to compete with grey, blue, and orange hydrogen in the current technology landscape.

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.

Qcells says it is building a pilot line for perovskite-silicon tandem solar cells that will start operations later this year in South Korea. It is working closely with its team in Germany, where it has already established another pilot line for tandem cells.

Sharp’s new IEC61215- and IEC61730-certified solar panel offers a power conversion efficiency of 22.07% and a bifaciality of more than 80%. The operating temperature coefficient is -0.30% per C and its power tolerance is 5%.

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.

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.

Coal-dependent Indonesia has huge solar potential but progress toward a net zero economy has been sluggish, explain Daniel Kurniawan and Fabby Tumiwa from the Institute for Essential Services Reform (IESR), an Indonesian thinktank.