South Korea

Renewable energy investment in the APAC region, excluding China, will overtake spending on oil and gas exploration and production spending by 2020, finds Norwegian consultancy Rystad Energy. And Australia is set to emerge as one of the leading investment destinations.

The Korean solar manufacturer has lodged a lawsuit with the Federal Court of Australia against Chinese panel makers Jinko and Longi following similar allegations in the U.S. and Germany.

Coal miner Glencore is failing investors in its latest forecasts.

In a joint effort with Kia Motors, Hyundai Motors is developing solar roofs and bodies for its EVs, hybrids and ICE vehicles to provide additional charging capacity. Depending on solar irradiation levels, the technology could provide 30-60% battery charge per day, the manufacturer says.

At US$518.4 million, the quarterly turnover of the South Korean-German manufacturer was down 10.3% year-on-year, while its net result swung from a profit of $18.7 million in the second quarter of 2017, to a loss of $41.3 million in the latest quarter. Despite this, the outlook for full fiscal 2018 remains unchanged.

The solar module manufacturer reports that Europe will likely replace the United States as its number one market, due to Trump administration duties. While Q1 revenues grew by around 2.5% year-on year, and net profit almost doubled from $17.6 million to $31 million, the outlook for 2018 shipments has been reduced by 400 MW to 5.6 GW to 5.8 GW.

Australian stock exchange-listed battery maker Redflow has announced a AU$14.5 million ($11.25 million) funding round, as the Brisbane-based company takes its manufacturing base offshore and turns its attention to a market “sweet-spot” including the off-grid, telecom, commercial and industrial sectors.