The long read: Diverse segments drive deployment in Bangladesh
In July, Bangladesh’s renewable generation capacity surpassed the 600 MW milestone. A solid achievement, even though the country still lags behind the government’s official plan to produce 10%, or 2 GW, of its electricity from clean sources by 2020. But with deployment rising in both the commercial rooftop and utility-scale solar segments, development could be poised to accelerate.
Australia’s Townsville battery gigafactory reaches new milestone
Plans to develop an 18 GWh lithium-ion battery factory in northern Queensland have reached an important milestone with the project feasibility study submitted to the Queensland government.
Shell acquires 20% stake in Orb Energy
The fossil fuel giant, like many of its global peers, is making inroads into renewable energy activity and has invested an unspecified amount in becoming a significant shareholder in a business which installs rooftop PV systems for commercial and industrial clients.
Now Europe is pushing domestic battery manufacturing plans
EU industry body EUROBAT has called for the bloc to adopt a battery industrial strategy and has pushed the claims of domestic manufacturers in the same manner as India has, as the race hots up to dominate the global energy storage market.
BHEL tenders containerized PCUs for 50 MW solar project
Bids are invited to supply 10 sets of 1×5 MW or 2×2.5MW 3-phase grid-connected containerized power-conditioning units for a MAHAGENCO project in Maharashtra. The scope of work also includes installation and commissioning. Bids will open on October 10.
Visaka’s solar roofing to power battery houses for Indian Army in Ladakh
The solar battery house—an innovative design by education reformist Sonam Wangchuk—will shelter soldiers of the Indian Army from the extreme Ladakhi winters.
Jodhpur agrivoltaic pilot project replicated
Research institutes have moved quickly to emulate the successes observed in a test installation at Jodhpur as India races to meet an ambitious target of doubling agricultural income by 2022.
Energy storage will take 3 years to gather steam
There is a need to shift the consumer mindset from conventional backup solutions to battery storage too even as the industry gets more clarity on technical feasibility for the Indian context.
The long read: Flow batteries scale up to GW production
Plans for a gigawatt factory in Saudi Arabia, bullet-proof warranties and an international vanadium rental service are propelling a new generation of batteries into the energy storage big league. Pioneers of redox flow technology claim that they can put an end to the degradation and safety issues afflicting lithium-ion batteries. They also expect imminent economies of scale to reduce the cost of bulk energy storage and unlock new markets for solar power.
Tata Power wins 105 MWp of floating solar for NTPC
The project—to be commissioned within 21 months—will come up on the reservoir of NTPC Kayamkulam in District Allappuzha.
