Germany will launch new solar tenders and improve biogas plant regulations, according to draft laws. The draft law follows Russia's invasion of Ukraine and Germany's attempt to reduce Russia's fossil fuel imports. Berlin plans to launch an additional "special crisis" tender for 1,500 megawatts of solar power in January 2023, the draft shows. It also plans to lift production limits on small solar power plants.
Suzlon Energy has won an order for a 180.6 MW wind energy project under Sembcorp. The project is located at Kanakagiribad in Bagalkot, Karnataka and is expected to be commissioned in 2024. Suzlon will install 86 wind turbines with Hybrid Lattice Tube (HLT) towers, each rated at 2.1 MW.
Turkey is working to boost its renewable energy capacity to reduce its reliance on energy imports amid rising prices due to the crisis and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Renewables accounted for more than half of the country's total installed capacity at the end of March, totaling more than 100 gigawatts. Renewables accounted for more than 95 percent of the country's new electricity capacity last year. The annual consumption of natural gas is expected to reach 6.2-63 billion cubic meters in 2022.
The 70 MW project is planned to be built on 88.5 hectares of land and is expected to produce 114 GWh per year. The company is in advanced negotiations to purchase an additional 39.4 hectares of land adjacent to the project. The goal is to install an additional 35 MW, thereby increasing the project's capacity to 105 MW. This amount is based on a selling price of EUR 70 per net MWh for a project duration of at least 25 years. The deal is contingent on receipt of a 70 MW construction permit and assumes no material adverse change in the project's performance.
The deadline for obtaining a building permit is 16 months from the date of signing the agreement. Completion of the transaction is subject to several conditions, including approval by the North Macedonia Commission for the Protection of Competition.
Taaleri Energia will own 100% of the wind farm through its Taaleri SolarWind II fund and Encro, the project's original developer. The wind farm should generate about 317 GWh of electricity per year, enough to supply about 85,000 households. During operation, they will offset approximately 78,000 tonnes of CO2e per year. This is the first utility-scale renewable energy project to be developed outside of a state subsidy program.
The Hydrogen Industrial Zone project involves the construction of a 25 MW solar power plant that will provide green energy to the 10 MW hydrogen electrolyzers defined in the EU hydrogen strategy. The project is expected to save 3,000 GWh of energy per year, while its renewable energy production is estimated at 33,000 GHW per year. The conceptual design has been strongly endorsed by the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance.
Sinopec (Sinopec Corp.) plans to produce 20,000 tons of green hydrogen per year when the facility is completed. The plant is located in the northwestern region of Xinjiang and cost about $470.8 million to build. The hydrogen produced by the future plant will be supplied to the neighboring Sinopec Tahe Refinery to replace natural gas for hydrogen production.
The Green Growth Fund (GGF) has completed the third edition of its Green Finance Specialist course, successfully graduating 46 graduates from partner institutions in 10 countries. Participants visited green projects, including the energy self-sufficient village of Feldheim, Germany. They discussed the latest developments in Germany's energy transition, as well as renewable energy legislation and international energy cooperation with the German Energy Agency (dena).
Leonore Gewessler, Minister of Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Transport, Innovation and Technology, said that heating accounts for a quarter of Austria's natural gas consumption. According to the plan, heating oil or coal heaters will need to be replaced with renewable heating systems, and by 2035, the country will be completely replaced. The technology is currently set to be banned in 2025. The country is racing to become climate neutral by 2040, with a goal of replacing 80 percent of its fossil fuel hydrogen with "climate neutral" hydrogen. So-called blue hydrogen is produced from natural gas, but carbon dioxide emissions are captured so they don't reach the atmosphere.
The Ministry of Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change has changed zoning regulations for areas without detailed urban plans. Solar power plants used for irrigation are exempt if their surface is less than 125 square meters and the highest point is not more than 150 cm above the ground. Owners can only build them on a metal frame, without a concrete foundation.