Weekly renewables M&A round-up (Jan 4-8)

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Renewables Now covered M&A stories about Goldwind, NRG, E.on, Plug Power and others over the past week. Below is the full list:

-- Foresight Solar buys 98.5 MW of projects for Spanish portfolio

UK’s Foresight Solar Fund Ltd (LON:FSFL) announced that it has acquired development rights for 98.5 MW of subsidy-free solar projects in Spain.

-- China's Shunfeng agrees to sell LED business to repay debts

An indirect unit of China’s Shunfeng International Clean Energy Ltd (HKG:1165), or SFCE, has conditionally agreed to sell a LED products business for CNY 670 million so that the group can pay back some of its debts.

-- Sonnedix buying 40 MWp of small-scale solar in Chile

Global independent power producer (IPP) Sonnedix Power Holdings Ltd will add 40 MWp of solar farms to its Chilean portfolio after arranging the acquisition with Italian peer Building Energy Andes SpA.

-- Ecofin US Renewables buys another 11 MW of US solar

Ecofin US Renewables Infrastructure Trust PLC (LON:RNEW) said it had finalised the acquisition of a solar portfolio with a capacity of 11.3 MW in the US, its third investment after the two announced earlier in December.

-- Croatia's Fortenova secures 65% direct stake in A.N.P. Energija

Croatia's Fortenova Group, the successor to failed Agrokor concern, said it will buy a 39% stake in A.N.P. Energija from local fund manager Inspire Investments d.o.o. after agreeing to acquire a 26% interest in the energy company from local venture capital fund Prosperus FGS.

-- EU Commission clears buy of CEZ assets in Romania by Macquarie

The European Commission (EC) said it has approved the acquisition of energy assets owned by Czech group CEZ in Romania by Macquarie Infrastructure and Real Assets (MIRA), part of global financial services organisation Macquarie Group.

-- Goldwind unit to invest USD 155m in Three Gorges Clean Energy Fund

A unit of Chinese wind turbine maker Xinjiang Goldwind Science & Technology Co Ltd (HKG:2208) will take a 22.2% stake in the Three Gorges Clean Energy Fund in exchange for a CNY-1-billion investment.

-- Gibraltar Industries spends over USD 230m on solar co acquisitions

Renewable energy and infrastructure markets investor Gibraltar Industries (NASDAQ:ROCK) has acquired solar racking technology specialist TerraSmart and solar software solutions provider Sunfig.

-- China's Jiangsu Zhongli to sell 6MW solar plant in Romania for 1.8 mln euro

Chinese group Jiangsu Zhongli said that it has signed an agreement to sell a 6MW photovoltaic plant in Romania to local company Alive Energy for 1.857 million euro.

-- TubeSolar to buy into US flexible modules maker Ascent Solar

German photovoltaic (PV) tubes maker TubeSolar AG (ETR:9TS) said it intends to buy a minority stake in US firm Ascent Solar Technologies Inc (OTCMKTS:ASTI) to secure another source of thin-film technology supply.

-- Romania's antitrust body to probe Hidroelectrica's takeover of 108 MW wind farm

Romania's competition authority said that it will look into the agreed takeover of the 108 MW Crucea wind farm by majority state-owned hydro power producer Hidroelectrica.

-- ReneSola, Eiffel to form JV for 1 GW of European solar

Solar power firm ReneSola Ltd (NYSE:SOL) and asset manager Eiffel Investment Group plan to create a joint venture to develop and finance up to 1 GW of projects across Europe in the next several years.

-- Neste buys stake in US plastic recycling firm Alterra Energy

Finnish oil refiner Neste Oyj (HEL:NESTE) said it has purchased a minority stake in Alterra Energy, an Ohio-based company that has developed a new technology for the recycling of plastic waste.

-- Takkion takes over wind O&M services provider Renew Energy

Texas-based logistics company Takkion Holdings LLC said it has taken over South Dakota-based Renew Energy Inc, which provides operations and maintenance (O&M) services for the wind power market.

-- Peck to acquire solar EV hubs provider iSun Energy

US commercial solar contractor The Peck Company Holdings Inc (NASDAQ:PECK) has inked a binding term sheet to take over iSun Energy LLC, a provider of solar-powered electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure.

-- Canadian Solar sells stake in 46 MW of projects in Canada

Canadian Solar Inc (NASDAQ:CSIQ) said it has sold its ownership interest in two solar projects of 31 MWp each in the Canadian province of Alberta to BluEarth Renewables, a power producer active in Canada and the US.

-- NRG finalises USD-3.6bn acquisition of Direct Energy

Integrated energy and services provider NRG Energy Inc (NYSE:NRG) has wrapped up its takeover of Direct Energy, thus expanding its customer footprint in North America, as well as its home service and retail natural gas capabilities.

-- E.ON closes purchase of 49% stake in UK Eco2Solar

The UK arm of German energy group E.on SE (ETR:EOAN) said it has closed the acquisition of a 49% stake in UK solar installer Eco2Solar.

-- Origis Energy buys out original shareholders with help from Global Atlantic

US solar and energy storage developer Origis Energy has acquired two firms headed by co-founder Paul Thiers and board member Filip Balcaen, respectively, in what it says was a management buyout of its original shareholders.

-- NTR fund buys 48.4-MW wind park in France

Irish green asset manager NTR Plc has purchased a 48.4-MW wind farm in France’s Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region, it said on Wednesday.

-- Agilitas Energy buys 8.9-MW solar project in Massachusetts

US solar and energy storage developer Agilitas Energy has bought an 8.9-MW solar project that is currently under construction in Massachusetts and will be coupled with battery storage.

-- DSD acquires 10-MW New York community solar duo

US-based Distributed Solar Development (DSD) has become the owner of a 10-MW portfolio of community solar projects in Lenox, New York.

-- Korea's SK Group to buy USD-1.5bn minority stake in Plug Power

South Korean industrial conglomerate SK Group will invest USD 1.5 billion in US hydrogen fuel cells provider Plug Power Inc (NASDAQ:PLUG) as part of a new strategic partnership between the two.

-- Sonnedix's solar capacity in Italy exceeds 250 MW

Global independent power producer (IPP) Sonnedix Power Holdings Ltd said its latest purchase of two solar installations in Italy had brought its total operating capacity in the country to 251 MW.

-- OX2 selling 171-MW wind trio in Finland to CPP Investments

A newly-formed platform of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, or CPP Investments, will purchase a 171-MW portfolio of Finnish wind projects from Sweden’s OX2.

-- Duke buys 144-MW Texas solar project from Canadian Solar

The renewables arm of US utility Duke Energy (NYSE:DUK) has acquired a 144-MW solar project in Texas from project developer Recurrent Energy LLC for an undisclosed sum.

-- QIA to buy 50% stake in 800-MW African renewables portfolio from Enel

Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) will acquire a 50% stake in 800 MW of Enel Green Power's (EGP) African portfolio under a joint venture (JV) agreement, the latter said.

-- Petrobras finalises stake sale in 78 MW of wind farms in Brazil

Brazilian state-controlled company Petroleo Brasileiro SA (BVMF:PETR4), or Petrobras, has concluded the sale of a 49% stake in three wind farms totalling 78 MW.

-- Morgan Stanley Energy Partners funds invest in SolMicroGrid

Investment funds managed by Morgan Stanley Energy Partners said they have invested in Georgia-based microgrid solutions developer SolMicroGrid.

-- ReneSola to sell 12.3 MW of solar in Hungary

ReneSola (NYSE:SOL) said it has agreed to offload solar projects with a combined capacity of 12.3 MW in Hungary to Denmark-based solar investor Obton.