Trina Solar and SunEdison have signed a supply agreement under which Trina Solar is to deliver a total of about 35 MW of solar modules to SunEdison over the course of 2010. SunEdison will be using the modules for power projects in North America and Europe.
[source: Trina Solar]
American Superconductor Corporatio (AMSC) has acquired a 25% stake in Blade Dynamics, for USD 8 million in cash. AMSC has this way obtained a seat on the board, and will push its Windtec technology towards a broader range of wind turbine manufacturers. Furthermore, AMSC has also secured a blade platform for the company's SeaTitan superconductor wind turbine, which will have 10 MW of capacity.
Voith Hydro has received an order from BC Hydro (Canada) for the complete overhaul of five hydropower generators, including five Francis turbines, and accompanying equipment at the company's Gordon M. Shrum hydropower facility in British Columbia, Canada.
Voith Hydro is to supply five new 310 MW Francis turbines, install them and commission them upon successful installation. The first of the big machines is to be commissioned in 2012, while the remaining four will be commissioned each successive year after, until early 2017, when the whole process will be complete. At the moment, the power plant has five turbines each outputting 266 MW of power. The additional capacity to be achieved through the overhaul, will account for clean electricity for about 15,000 additional average homes in the area.
The Gordon M. Shrum facility was originally put into operation in the late 1960's, and represents about 12% of BC's total power generating capacity.
[source: Voith Hydro]
Solazyme announced recently the company has secured USD 52 million in Series D funding. The company's pursuing further development of technology which uses microbial fermentation to produce oil which can be used for the production of scalable biofuels, chemicals, nutritional food ingredients and health and wellness products.
SunEdison and DRI Energy announced a channel partnership to deploy PV power plants in California, Hawaii and Arizona. The initial partnership is set to deploy over 19 MW of solar capacity.
Under the deal, SunEdison will finance solar deployment contracts facilitated by DRI Energy with commercial, government and utility clients. SunEdison will also own, operate, maintain and monitor the solar power plants which will be designed, engineered and constructed by DRI Energy.
The two companies have already successfully deployed solar projects in California and have several others currently under construction.
[source: SunEdison]
Solar Millenium (subsidiary of Solar Trust of America) announced an important milestone for the company's 242 MW Blythe solar power project, which will be using parabolic trough CSP technology. This project is just one of four 242 MW projects the company is hoping to get development permissions for in the Riverside County, California. The project has now officially been recommended for approval by the California Energy Commission (CEC).
The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) already approved a power purchase agreement (PPA) between Solar Millenium and Southern California Edison for two 242 MW solar power plants to be developed near Blythe. The PPA's pertain to a 20-year period.
If Solar Millenium eventually gets approvals for all four projects, California could be looking at almost a gigawatt of new clean power capacity in the near future.
[source: Solar Millenium]
Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) announced a USD 700 million deal for building 175 MW of solar power plants in the United States of America. The deal was signed with Matinee Energy. Two power plants will be developed and built, one in Dragoon having 150 MW of capacity, and the other in Cochise having 25 MW of installed capacity.
Cobalt Technologies and Fluor have entered into an agreement under which Fluor is to provide Cobalt with engineering consulting services in order to help Cobalt Technologies reach commercial production of its biobutanol technology. In addition, Fuor is to provide EPCM (engineering, procurement, construction, maintenance) services to Cobalt for their demonstration and commercial scale biobutanol facilities.
Canadian Solar has announced Guelph, Ontario, will be the location for the company's new solar module manufacturing facility.
The new manufacturing plant will be one of the largest solarm module facilities in North America. It will employ about 500 locals, and have annual production capacity of 200 MW.
[source: Canadian Solar]
SunPower and Arizona Public Service (APS) are going to build the largest solar PV power facility on US government soil, at the Luke Air Force Base in Arizona. The power plant is to have 15 MW of installed capacity, and is to be completed in the summer of 2011.
The new power plant will be able to generate clean electricity for about 3750 average Arizona homes, and cover 50% of the air base's electricity needs. Construction activities are to begin in January 2011.
[source: SunPower]
