India is reported to be setting up an indepentent environmenta regulatory body, in order to lessen the pressure of making unpopular decisions to protect the eco system by dissallowing development. So far, the Environment Ministry has been slowing down investments by putting a hold on major projects.
LDK Solar is to supply 15 MW of solar modules to juwi Solar (Germany). The two companies have signed an agreement for polycrystalline PV modules, which are to be delivered from August 2011 to November 2011.
Suzlon has received an order for 100 MW of wind turbines from Orient Green Power Company (based in Chennai, India). The order consists of 48 S95 2.1 MW units, which will be used at various wind projects, to be commissioned progressively by mid-2012.
As part of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission to increase the amount of installed solar capacity in India, Tata BP Solar has received an order for a 5 MW solar power plant in Uttar Pradesh, India. The company will be responsible for engineering, procurement and construction of the project. The solar plant project is owned by the Electrical Manufacturing Company from Kolkata.
GE is to supply 10 1.6 MW wind turbines for the first phase of the Bac Lieu Wind Farm being developed in the Bac Lieu province, in the Mekong Delta area of Vietnam. The first phase, with 16 MW of installed capacity, is to be followed by the sceond phase of the project, which will add up to 120 MW more capacity to the project.
Tata BP Solar, a joint venture between Tata and BP, has received an order to execute three solar PV projects in the Indian province of Gujarat. The three projects, totalling in 30 MW of new solar power capacity, are part of the first phase of the solar power policy being pushed by the Gujarat government. The power plants will range from 5 MW to 15 MW in capacity, and are to be located in Patan, Kutch and Mithapur, in the northern and western part of the state.
IRENA (International Renewable Energy Agency) is hosting high-level talks in Abu Dhabi for the next three days with the main topic being the acceleration of deployment of renewable energy projects in Africa. Forty-five African countries, including 30 ministers and assistant ministers have confirmed their participation. Other participants include representatives from the African Union, UNIDO, IPCC, UNEP, India, China, Germany, France, Japan and the UAE. This ministerial gathering is expected to help start the process of development, including scenarios and strategies for the African continent which deal with the constraints regarding the development of renewable energy.
Panasonic has announced the availability of innovative thermoelectric tubes especially suited for fluid heat sources such as hot water or steam. The device's tubular shape allows good heat transfer conditions and efficient heat transfer, without additional heat exchangers. The company states the new tubes are ideal for capturing waste heat from hot springs (geothermal energy) and factories.
A consoritum made up of Alstom and the Hindustan Construction Company has been awarded a EUR 285 contract to build the first variable speed pumped storage power plant in India, by Tehri Hydrodevelopment Corporation. The 1000 MW pumped storage facility will be located on the Bhagirathi River, in the state of Uttarkhand. This is the first project to use variable speed technology in India.
Yingli Green Energy (aka Yingli Solar) has signed a supply agreement with Huanghe Hydropower Development, subsidiary of China Power Investment Corporation, for a total of 110 MW of solar modules. These solar modules are to be installed at two ground-mounted solar PV power plants in the Qinghai province.
