Weekly renewables M&A round-up (May 2-12)

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Renewables Now covered M&A stories related to TransAlta, Siemens Gamesa and others over the past 10 days. Below is the full list of deals:

-- Brookfield closes USD-260m investment in TransAlta

TransAlta Corp (TSE:TA), the Calgary-based utility that wants to invest more in renewables, has formally received an initial investment of CAD 350 million from Brookfield Renewable Partners LP (TSE:BEP.UN).

-- Ellomay achieves fin close for 300-MW Spanish solar project

Israel-based Ellomay Capital Ltd (TASE:ELLO) announced on Wednesday closing the sale of a 49% stake in the 300-MWp Talasol solar project in Spain.

-- PNM to buy New Mexico wind power transmission line

PNM Resources (NYSE:PNM), through its wholly-owned utility subsidiary, has agreed to buy the Western Spirit renewable power transmission project in New Mexico that would help accommodate 800 MW of new wind energy.

-- RES sells 25-MW subsidy-free wind project in UK to ERG

UK-based Renewable Energy Systems Ltd (RES) has sold its 25-MW Craiggore wind farm in Northern Ireland to a unit of Italian energy company ERG SpA (BIT:ERG).

-- Global energy M&A activity to start rising again in 2 years

A new report by law firm Baker McKenzie shows that merger and acquisition (M&A) activity in the energy sector has decreased by 20% last year and is expected to drop further in 2019 before rising in 2020.

-- Axpo agrees takeover of French PV firm Urbasolar

Axpo Holding AG has inked a deal to take over French photovoltaic (PV) company Urbasolar, a transaction that would mark the Swiss energy trader’s entry into the international solar business.

-- Greenbacker acquires 12-MW biomass plant in Colorado

New York-based Greenbacker Renewable Energy Company LLC has acquired a 12-MW biomass power plant in Colorado for an undisclosed sum.

-- MPC Capital closes acquisition of 21-MW wind farm in Costa Rica

Hamburg-based asset manager MPC Muenchmeyer Petersen Capital AG (ETR:MPCK) has reached financial close for the acquisition of the 21-MW Tilawind wind farm in Costa Rica.

-- Apex sells 303-MW Oklahoma wind project to Allete

Apex Clean Energy said it has sold a 303-MW wind project in Oklahoma, together with negotiated off-take deals, to a unit of US energy company Allete Inc (NYSE:ALE).

-- Brazil's Energisa acquires renewable DG co Alsol

Brazilian electricity distributor Energisa SA (BVMF:ENGI3) has signed a contract to buy an 87% stake in local distributed generation (DG) firm Alsol Energias Renovaveis SA.

-- Malaysia's ARB to acquire 51% stake in local solar co

Malaysian investment holding company ARB Berhad (KLSE:ARBB) has entered into an agreement to acquire a 51% stake in local solar developer C&M Renewable Energy Technology Sdn Bhd (CMSB) for a total consideration of MYR 5.5 million.

-- Good Energy sells 5-MW solar park in Wales

UK renewable electricity supplier Good Energy Group Plc (LON:GOOD) has completed the sale of a 5-MW solar park in Wales to a partnership of CORE Pisces Ltd and Welsh community energy firm Gower Power Co-op CIC.

-- ERG closes acquisition of 52-MW French wind portfolio

Italian energy company ERG SpA (BIT:ERG) closed its acquisition of French firm Les Moulins de Fruges SAS which has 52 MW of wind power assets.

-- Sowitec, Hydro Energi get approval for floating solar JV in Brazil

Brazil's Council of Economic Defense (CADE) has approved without restriction the creation of a joint venture (JV) between German renewables developer Sowitec Group GmbH and Norwegian Hydro Energi Invest AS for the development of a floating solar system.

-- Athena gets binding offers for interest in 205-MW renewables portfolio

Ardian Infrastructure and Glennmont Partners have made binding offers for the ownership interests held by Athena Investments A/S (CPH:ATHENA) in certain Italian and Spanish renewable energy assets totalling 205.5 MW.

-- Siemens to transfer SGRE stake to spun-off unit in huge overhaul

German industrial major Siemens AG (ETR:SIE) plans to transfer its 59% stake in wind turbine maker Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy SA (BME:SGRE) to a new company that will house its spun-off Gas and Power (GP) business.

-- Innergex closes debt, equity financing for 328-MW wind project in Texas

Innergex Renewable Energy Inc (TSE:INE) has secured USD 565.9 million in debt and tax equity financing for the up to 327.6-MW Foard City wind project in Texas.

-- AES Tiete's Alto Sertao III buy proceeds slowly - report

Brazilian energy firm AES Tiete Energia SA has no clear estimate for when it will conclude the acquisition of the 743-MW Alto Sertao III wind power complex, an official said as quoted by Reuters.

-- Marubeni invests in US distributed energy platform GridMarket

Japanese trader Marubeni Corp (TYO:8002) has made an investment in US firm GridMarket LLC to proactively expand its distributed energy resources (DER) business.

-- Wpd offloads 38.3-MW wind portfolio in Germany

German wind project developer Wpd AG said it has sold 38.3 MW of wind farms in Germany to municipal utility Stadtwerke Heidenheim AG - Unternehmensgruppe for an undisclosed sum.

-- Panasonic to transfer Malaysian HIT solar unit to China's GS-Solar

Japan’s Panasonic Corp (TYO:6752) will transfer its heterojunction (HIT) solar cell and module production unit in Malaysia to GS-Solar as part of a wider cooperation agreement with the China-based heterojunction solar products maker.

-- Blue Elephant Energy takes control of 116-MW Carribean solar project

German renewables developer Blue Elephant Energy AG (BEE) has acquired a majority stake in the 116-MW Montecristi solar project in the Dominican Republic, its legal adviser Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) informed.

-- Foresight grows Iberian subsidy-free portfolio with 50-MW solar buy

UK investment manager Foresight Group LLP said it has expanded its subsidy-free portfolio with the acquisition of a 50-MW solar park being built in Spain’s Andalusia autonomous community.