Europe

REC, a Norwegian solar panel specialist, will exhibit the latest module in its award-winning REC Alpha line at the Renewable Energy India (REI) exhibition in September. It will also join forces with its new owner, Reliance Industries Ltd., to recruit new talent for a planned solar gigafactory in India.

Norway’s Yara International has agreed to buy 100,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually from Phase 1 of Acme and Scatec’s Omani project.

German researchers have looked at how vertical PV systems could provide more electricity during periods of higher demand, while enabling a higher level of integration with agricultural activities.

Servotech has successfully tested ComPort solar monitoring device with the portable PV system PV Port at the EUREF-Campus in Berlin, Germany. This first-of-its-kind instrument can integrate with any off-grid and hybrid inverter and empower users to get the most out of their solar systems.

Hinduja Group, an Indian multinational, has invested GBP 15 million (($18.4 million) with four other investors in Connected Energy, a developer of energy storage systems based on second-life electric vehicle batteries. The investment will help Connected Energy to scale up its operations and move into utility-scale project development. 

Battery startup Nunam is working with German carmaker Audi AG and the Audi Environmental Foundation to roll out electric rickshaws powered by used Audi e-tron used batteries. It expects to launch the e-rickshaws in India at some point early next year.

France’s TotalEnergies has signed an agreement with Adani Enterprises to acquire 25% of its new energy arm, Adani New Industries Ltd. The joint venture platform, ANIL, will be integrated across the value chain to drive down green hydrogen production costs. It aims to develop a green hydrogen production capacity of 1 million tons per annum by 2030.

Kredence, a Gujarat-based PV chemical solution provider, will provide its production facilities in India to deliver the latest version of RENA monoTEX moderating and wetting agent for alkaline texturing of mono Si-wafers.

“We need to bring manufacturing back to Europe and the [European] Commission is willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen,” EU Energy Commissioner Kadri Simson said at the opening of SolarPower Summit 2022. Her words rocketed around the solar community, boosting share prices and invigorating the European solar industrial mission, writes SolarPower Europe CEO Walburga Hemetsberger, as she lays out the actions needed for solar-power EU energy independence.

Borosil Renewables, an Indian solar glass manufacturer, has recorded net sales of around INR 644 crore ($83 million) for fiscal 2021-22. It operated almost at full capacity throughout the year and sold out of everything it produced.