Western Europe

The French solar market grew by around 30% in 2023, reaching 3.15 GW, according to new data from Enedis. PV systems for self-consumption accounted for around one-third of all new capacity additions.

Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) is selling REC Solar Holdings’ kerf-based polysilicon manufacturing arm REC Solar Norway to Elkem ASA, a silicon-based material provider. Upon completion of the sale, RIL will continue to retain the technology and intellectual property rights of kerf-based polysilicon.

Goldi Solar will supply its HELOC PRO series of 545 Wp PV modules to Engie India’s Sayla village project in Gujarat.

A lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery system recently exploded in a home in central Germany, preventing police and insurance investigators from entering due to the high risk of collapse. The explosion may have been preceded by off-gassing, but it remains unclear whether an external ignition source was the cause. Some scientists say thermal runaway may have triggered the blast.

The Assembly has decided to increase the viability gap funding for solar projects in member countries from 10% of the project cost to up to 35%, depending on the capacity and needs of the countries and their respective projects.

SJVN Green Energy Ltd will pilot a 2 MW floating solar project based on Norwegian firm Ocean Sun’s membrane-based floater technology. Once this pilot project succeeds, the two companies will collaborate to deploy this technology on a large scale in the southern part of India. 

Tanmoy Duari, chief executive officer at Axitec Energy India, told pv magazine that the planned capacity, 300 MW in Gujarat and another 300 MW in Tamil Nadu, will produce n-type TOPCon solar modules. Production will start in the first quarter of 2024.

Birla Carbon has acquired Belgium’s carbon nanotube manufacturer Nanocyl as it looks to establish a leadership position in materials critical to lithium-ion battery performance.

Swiss-Germany company LUXRA Group and India’s Rayzon Solar have agreed to form a joint venture for PV module production in India. The partnership will combine LUXRA’s technology and Rayzon’s operational expertise in PV panel manufacturing.

ABB has secured a complete power, propulsion, and automation systems order for Samskip Group’s hydrogen-powered container vessels. Built by Cochin Shipyard Ltd, the largest shipbuilding and maintenance facility in India, these vessels are among the first in the world to demonstrate the potential of hydrogen fuel cells as a clean and renewable fuel source.