Japan sets solar PV feed-in tariffs for the 2020-2021 year

7 Feb 2020

The Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) has released provisional solar PV feed-in tariffs (FiTs) for the next financial year (April 2020-March 2021). The feed-in tariff rate for solar PV systems below 10 kW is set at JPY21/kWh (US$19c/kWh). For PV projects between 10 kW and 50 kW, the tariff is fixed at JPY13/kWh (US$12c/kWh) and for projects between 50 kW and 250 kW at JPY12/kWh (US$11c/kWh). FiTs for large scale PV projects (>250 kW) have been shifted to a tendering program initiated by the METI.

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Canada will raise CAD2.8bn from federal carbon tax in 2019-2020

7 Feb 2020

According to the Parliamentary Budget Officer of Canada, the Canadian government is expected to collect CAD2.81bn (US$2.1bn) in direct revenue in 2019-2020 from its federal carbon tax currently set at CAD 20/t (US$15/t). With the carbon tax level raised to CAD 50/t (US$38/t) in 2022-2023, revenues would then rise to CAD 8.27bn (US$6.2bn). However, Canadian households will receive 90% of the revenues from the fuel charge proceeds, i.e. more than they initially pay.

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Uzbekistan launches a tender for a 200 MW solar park

6 Feb 2020

The government of Uzbekistan has issued a request for expressions of interest to develop a 200 MW solar park in Sherabad (Surkhandarya province). Interested parties have until 22 February 2020 to submit a bid. The request for qualifications and the request for proposals are expected to follow in March and in May 2020.

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Total acquires 50% of Adani’s 2 GW solar portfolio in India

7 Feb 2020

Total and Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL) have agreed to create a 50-50 joint venture, which will take over AGEL’ solar projects in operation, corresponding to a total capacity of over 2 GW across 11 Indian states; all the solar projects benefit from 25-year power purchase agreements (PPAs) with national and regional electricity distributors. Subject to regulatory approval, the transaction is valued US$500m.

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Europe installed 3.6 GW of new offshore wind capacity in 2019

7 Feb 2020

According to the European wind association WindEurope, installed offshore wind capacity in Europe reached a new record in annual installations with 3.6 GW connected to the grid in 2019 and raising Europe’s total offshore wind capacity to 22.1 GW at the end of 2019. Nearly half of these new offshore capacities were installed in the United Kingdom (+1,760 MW), followed by Germany (+1,111 MW), Denmark (+374 MW) and Belgium (+370 MW). In addition, Portugal commissioned an 8 MW floating offshore wind park, raising Europe’s floating wind capacity to 45 MW.

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1 bcm/year Nawara gas field enters production (Tunisia)

7 Feb 2020

The Nawara gas field has entered production in southern Tunisia. The Nawara block is owned by a US$1.25bn joint venture between Tunisia’s national oil company Entreprise tunisienne d’activités pétrolières (ETAP, 50%) and the Austrian oil and gas company OMV (50%). It was first scheduled to come online in 2016, but it has been delayed due to social and technical issues. It is expected to produce nearly 1 bcm/year of gas.

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Ivory Coast will export power to Sierra Leone and Guinea in 2020

7 Feb 2020

Ivory Coast plans to start electricity exports to Guinea and Sierra Leone in 2020, delivering 150 GWh/year to each country. Ivory Coast already exports around 11% of its power generation to Ghana, Togo, Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali and Liberia, and deliveries to Liberia will soon be raised, thanks to the upcoming commissioning of a 225 kV interconnection line. To support electricity import bill payments, Ivory Coast, Mali, Burkina Faso, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea will work on a revolving fund to strengthen the financial liquidity of countries exchanging electricity.

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Brazil’s energy efficiency indicator improved by 14% from 2005 to 2018

7 Feb 2020

According to the Energy Efficiency Atlas released by the Brazilian Energy Research Company (EPE), energy efficiency (measured with an ODEX indicator) improved by 14% in Brazil between 2005 and 2018. The ODEX indicator takes into account variations in energy consumption indicators and weighs them according to their respective share in energy consumption. Between 2005 and 2018, the ODEX indicator for industry only contracted by 7%, while the ODEX for transports and households decreased more rapidly (-18% and -21%, respectively).

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PGE awards contracts for 1.4 GW gas-fired power project in Poland

7 Feb 2020

Polish power group PGE has awarded a PLN3.7bn (€869m) contract to a consortium of GE and Polish company Polimex Mostostal for the construction and commissioning of two gas and steam units, with a total capacity of 1.4 GW at the Dolna Odra coal-fired (Poland). In addition, the consortium won a 12-year service contract valued PLN1bn (€235m).

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Vietnam provincial authority clears 3.2 GW Bac Lieu LNG-to-power project

7 Feb 2020

The provincial authority (People’s Committee) of Bac Lieu has approved the Bac Lieu LNG-to-Power project, developed by Singapore-based Delta Offshore Energy (DeltaOE) in Vinh Hau A, in the Hoa Binh District of the Bac Lieu Province, in south-western Vietnam.

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