THE FRIDAY NOTE: Cuba plans 13 wind parks and more of the week's top picks

In the past week it was announced that Cuba will build 13 wind farms, Morocco started a 75-MW solar projects tender and Infigen announced the buyer for its US wind power business.

Other top news include the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) plans for another 200-MW wind auction, and the signing of contracts for Amazon’s next 208-MW wind farm in North Carolina. In the meantime BNEF released a report showing that the global investments in renewables amounted to USD 73.5 billion in the second quarter of 2015.

WIND IN CUBA, SOLAR IN INDIA

Cuba plans to build 13 wind farms, for seven of which it will rely on direct investment, local media reported on Saturday, quoting the energy and mines minister. The move will be in line with a plan for the country to source some 24% of its power from renewable energy sources by 2030.

In India, Canadian Solar Inc (NASDAQ:CSIQ) and two other Canada-based firms plan to spend roughly USD 1 billion (EUR 920bn) to build a 500-MW photovoltaic (PV) power plant in India’s Maharashtra state. It will be the first of several such projects.

More details at: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/cuba-intends-to-construct-13-wind-farms-report-483853

and at: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/canadian-solar-jv-to-build-500-mw-pv-parks-in-india-report-483831

TENDERS IN HOT MARKETS

Moroccan electricity and water utility company (ONEE) has launched a tender for pre-qualification of solar projects with a total installed capacity of 75 MW, as reported on Tuesday. The deadline for submitting turn-key proposals is set for September 4, 2015 while grid-connection of the power plants is planned for the end of 2016 or start of 2017.

Almost on the other side of the globe the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) government will hold a second large-scale wind reverse auction by the end of the year, possibly targeting 200 MW again, it was announced Wednesday. Simon Corbell, ACT environment minister, expects “a very strong level of bidding”.

Speaking of auctions, the head of Conergy’s Latin American business recently told SeeNews Renewables that the company plans to participate in renewable energy tenders in Mexico, Chile and Brazil. Conergy’s plan is to develop private utility-scale solar projects at first.

More details at: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/morocco-tenders-75-mw-solar-power-projects-484244

at: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/australian-capital-territory-plans-new-200-mw-wind-auction-in-2015-484191

and at: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/conergy-eyes-solar-tenders-in-latin-america-484061

WIND IN USA

On Monday the cloud computing unit of Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:AMZN) said that Iberdrola Renewables LLC will build for it a 208-MW wind farm in North Carolina. The Amazon Wind Farm US East is planned to be completed by December 2016. Spain’s Gamesa (BME:GAM) will supply the turbines needed for the project.

On Wednesday Infigen Energy (ASX:IFN) said it will sell its US wind power business, which includes assets of over 1 GW, for USD 272.5 million. The buyer is a newly formed portfolio company affiliated with ArcLight Capital Partners LLC.

More details at: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/iberdrola-to-build-208-mw-n-carolina-wind-park-for-amazon-484011

at: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/gamesa-to-equip-208-mw-amazon-wind-farm-in-us-484333

and at: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/infigen-to-shed-us-wind-ops-in-usd-272-5m-deal-484168

TRADE CONFLICT HURTS US POLYSILICON

REC Silicon ASA (STO:RECO) is cutting by roughly half the production capacity of its Moses Lake polysilicon factory in the US state of Washington. The decision has been taken as a result of the impact the trade dispute between the US and China has on the firm’s ongoing ability to sell solar-grade polysilicon in the Asian country, it explained.

More details at: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/rec-silicon-halves-us-polysilicon-production-on-conflict-with-china-484389

Q2 RENEWABLES

Bloomberg New Energy Finance (BNEF) calculates that global investment in renewables in the second quarter of 2015 was down just 0.2% year-on-year to about USD 73.5 billion. Solar investments rose by 23% to USD 41.9 billion, while wind investments decreased by 13% to USD 27.8 billion.

More details at: http://renewables.seenews.com/news/corrected-official-q2-renewables-spending-declines-just-0-2-y-y-484023

(USD 1 = EUR 0.918)

Choose your newsletter by Renewables Now. Join for free!