Category: Country Focus

UK Department for Transport and offshore wind industry launch initiative to decarbonise North Sea maritime operations

The UK Department for Transport and the Offshore Renewable Energy (ORE) Catapult have unveiled the Department’s ‘Operation Zero’, which aims to accelerate the decarbonisation of offshore wind operations and maintenance (O&M) vessels working in the North Sea’s offshore wind farms. At an event as part of COP26 in Glasgow, Maritime Minister Robert Courts announced the… Read more »

The next step for solar collectors

Improving efficiency by developing pumps for higher temperature systems The technology to exploit renewable energy sources is continuing to advance, improving efficiency and reducing costs. In concentrated solar power plants with central tower and molten salt, the sun’s energy is used to raise the temperature of molten salts, which are pumped to a steam generator… Read more »

Scotland’s Tidal Titans team up to turbo charge the tidal energy industry

Nova Innovation and Atlantis Energy demonstrate the huge international and domestic tidal energy opportunity to SNP Westminster Leader Ian Blackford, and call on the UK Government to back an industry that delivers jobs, investment, and homegrown renewable power Nova Innovation and Atlantis Energy are delighted to announce they have entered a collaboration agreement with the… Read more »

Ingeteam commissions its largest solar PV plant in France, with 87.5 MWp

On 19 October 2021, Dhamma Energy inaugurated the Athies-Samoussy PV solar plant located in the French region of Hauts-de-France. With a total installed capacity of 87.5 MWp, this project is one of the ten largest photovoltaic plants in France and is also the largest PV project to be supplied by Ingeteam to this country. For… Read more »

DEME Offshore Lands Dominion Energy Group’s +$1.1 Billion Balance of Plant (BoP) Project for Construction of Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind Farm (CVOW)

Largest U.S. Offshore Wind Farm to supply energy to 660,000 households Friday, November 5, 2021 — Antwerp, BE, Boston, MA, US – November 5th, 2021 – 7am CET – DEME Offshore US LLC (“DEME Offshore” or “the Company”), the world’s leading offshore wind farm contractor, today announced that it has secured a +$1.1 Billion Balance… Read more »

Pfeiffer Vacuum Supports Young Research Team at the North Hesse School Student Research Center

Donation helps develop new technologies Cutting-edge pump technology used in scanning electron microscope Carbon footprint reduction Asslar, November 04, 2021. Young researchers from a variety of disciplines are taking advantage of the infrastructure and opportunities offered by the Schülerforschungszentrum Nordhessen (SFN) student research center to develop ideas for new processes and products. Now, Pfeiffer Vacuum… Read more »

Mainstream Renewable Power projects to deliver 1.27 GW of new wind and solar for South Africa

Mainstream Renewable Power-led consortium has been awarded 50% of the total allocation in the latest round of South Africa’s Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) The win makes Mainstream Renewable Power the leading renewable energy company in South Africa, with over 2.1 GW awarded under the REIPPPP to date The twelve projects, across… Read more »

REACTION: Scottish Government renewable heat target

The Scottish Government has today (October 27) published an update on the progress toward meeting the target of 11% of non-electrical heat demand from renewable sources by 2020. Responding, Helen Melone, Senior Policy Manager at Scottish Renewables, said: “We are disappointed to see the figures released today (6.4%) that show that Scotland has not made any progress on… Read more »

Budget – Time to deliver on Green promises, says AceOn

Leading energy pioneer AceOn today welcomed Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s commitment to driving forward measures to tackle climate change – but said his Budget could have gone further. The company – a leading national innovator in battery and energy storage technology – said it was deeply disappointed Mr Sunak had failed to take the opportunity to scrap VAT on zero and low… Read more »

The power of energy storage

Exide Technologies is a global provider of stored electrical energy solutions, with operations in over 80 countries around the world. It manufactures and markets batteries for a wide range of applications, from cars to railroads and is an increasingly powerful player in the fast-growing energy storage market. Research by IHS says this industry is set… Read more »

State of the market: projects in Kuwait

“The use of alternative energy in Kuwait is important for three reasons: the growing demand for electricity, the high price of oil and the optimal environment for investing in alternative energy as Kuwait is abundant with bright sun and wind,” says Dr. Bader Al Taweel, Chairman of Renewable Energy at Kuwait Engineers Society. And who… Read more »

Serbia: A rising market

Total onshore wind installed capacity in Serbia will rise from 102.5 Megawatts (MW) in 2015 to an estimated 522 MW by 2025 says a recent report, and we at PES are inclined to agree – the country has displayed an appetite for wind in recent years that is set to continue. We take a look… Read more »

The decentralized energy revolution in Germany

Germany has embarked on a journey to fundamentally transform its energy supply system: the energy turnaround, or “Energiewende” as it is known. But the country that kick-started the PV movement around a decade ago has since been superseded by even more ambitious nations. So can Germany become a game-changer once more? Between 1990 and 2014,… Read more »

Uk A Go To Offshore Destination

Earlier this year, RenewableUK revealed a number of fresh announcements that highlighted the full extent of the UK’s booming business environment for the offshore wind industry and its supply chain. We take a look at the current state of play in Europe’s wind energy powerhouse. Three massive boosts to the offshore industry in Britain were… Read more »

Indias Furious Pace Of Uptake

As PES was going to print, a cabinet meeting chaired by the Chief Minister of India’s Madhya Pradesh, Mr Shivraj Singh, approved the proposal for commissioning the world’s largest solar power plant in the Rewa District. We take a look at the shining star of the solar world. As per projects announced until now, once… Read more »

Winds World Record Holder Takes A Bow

Denmark has been long been a pioneer in wind power, having installed its first turbines in the mid-1970s when oil shocks sent the import-dependent nation on a quest for energy security. 37 years later, the country has set a new world record for wind production by getting 39.1 percent of its overall electricity from wind… Read more »

A Second Wind For Indias Energy Market

There’s no doubt that there is the will to roll-out extensive wind energy initiatives in India, but is there the wherewithal? We put financing mechanisms to support the country’s national wind energy mission under the microscope. India is struggling with skyrocketing energy demands, declining energy supplies, and peak load blackouts and shortages that limit energy… Read more »

India’s time to shine

One significant news story that has almost gone unnoticed relates to India’s likely emergence as a global leader in solar power. A new World Bank report positions the country as the potential global leader in solar power and as one of the lowest cost destinations. PES investigates… The World Bank report ‘Paving the way for… Read more »

UK offshore: end of an era?

As news breaks of a multi-billion Euro investment in nuclear power, we ask if the UK is still in a position to rule over Europe’s offshore revolution – or if it’s about to give up its crown… On paper, the UK should be the world leader in wind energy generation, with the biggest wind resource… Read more »

Welcoming the next wave of wind in Québec

A bustling province with a proven appetite for renewables, Québec is a potential long-term market for wind power. It’s currently entering a busy period of construction and financing, and is ripe for investment. PES investigates. Québec is Canada’s second largest wind energy market after Ontario. In 2003, the government set a target of 4,000 MW… Read more »

Where the world PV community meets

The European Photovoltaic Solar Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC) is upon us once again and the 2013 show promises an even wider audience, with early registration figures confirming an accelerated trend towards further globalisation. We take a look at the stats and offer an insight into the conference itself. Advance figures of EU PVSEC… Read more »

Separating Fact From Fiction In Germanys Renewables Revolution

The impressive success so far of the German Energiewende (energy turnaround) is vital to the wider PV industry in that the country is cloudy, high-latitude, heavily industrialised and highly competitive. Nevertheless, there are doubters who are quick to point out when it falters – a short-sighted move, given the undisputable facts… While the examples of… Read more »

Polish PV looks promising

Renewable energy sources have finally got the attention of the Polish government. With the package of energy regulations, including Renewable Energy Law, Energy Act and Gas Act, the country may form one of the most important new markets for solar just in the heart of Europe. PES investigates. Energy regulations packageUntil recently, the Polish government… Read more »

Community spirit

Over the last two decades, the U.S. wind industry has grown dramatically and is providing communities across America with tremendous benefits. More than 50,000 megawatts of wind power – the power equivalent of thirteen Hoover Dams – are installed in the United States. In a change to our usual regional focus on a single state,… Read more »

Belgium: beating records, remaining profitable

Market analysts insist Belgium remains a profitable investment for solar manufacturers and consumers alike. Last year’s an annual growth of 737MW of solar capacity and high residential growth rates allayed fears brought on by the abolishment of tax reductions, and point to a very bright future indeed. Until the end of last year, photovoltaic panels… Read more »

Germany: powering ahead

While the spotlight tends to fall on the German PV sector, there’s no doubt that the country’s wind industry is one of the most enviable in Europe. Granted, there are some national concerns that need to be addressed, but both the country’s domestic market and export record show remarkable signs of life. PES investigates. As… Read more »

Solar flair

After two years at the top, Germany is this year likely to lose its place as the world’s top PV solar market, slipping to No. 2 behind former runner-up Italy, whose incentives-driven climb to the top of Europe’s PV table heralds a major success for the country. Italy’s booming solar power market is expected to… Read more »

Spain on target for 2020

Wind energy has set two new records in 2011: in March, it produced more electricity than in its history and, for the first time, it was the technology that generated more power in Spain than any other resource. Spanish renewables generation over the first two months of 2011 covered 38 per cent of national consumption,… Read more »

Could Romania Be Eastern Europes PV Powerhouse

It may come as a surprise to learn that during the 1970s and 80s, Romania was one of the world’s leading providers of photovoltaic technology, having installed approximately 860,000 square metres of photovoltaic cells. Though the quality of the cells was considered relatively low, at the time Romania boasted the third largest surface area of… Read more »

Economic Downturn Bites Into Germanys PV Industry

The reduction in Feed-in Tariffs and an overall declining economic climate along with a less than sympathetic Federal government are combining to make the going tough for Germany’s PV industry with many manufacturers now looking to increase their markets substantially abroad. PES reports on a difficult situation in the country that many others looked to… Read more »

Leading the way in wind

Located firmly in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the ‘American Heartland’, Iowa was once a part of the French colony of New France, and is known as the “Food Capital of the World”. However, Iowa’s economy, culture, and landscape are diverse, with a strong and burgeoning wind energy industry. PES… Read more »