Italy backs 48-megawatt wind power project in the Philippines

The first phase of a 48-megawatt wind power project in the Philippines will begin construction this month after the Italian government signed a memorandum of agreement with local project developers. The $44 million first phase will involve the installation of 16 MW of wind power. The project could be among the largest renewable energy undertakings in the Philippines.

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Conergy, Ensunt building 50-MW solar plant in Pakistan

German solar company Conergy is partnering Hong Kong-based project developer Ensunt Holdings to build a 50-megawatt solar power plant in Pakistan. The project in Bahawalpur in the Cholistan region is owned by DACC Power Generation Company Limited and the Pakistani government, and is set to be the largest of its kind in the country.

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Chinese solar firms report lesser shipments, revenues in Q1

Chinese solar firms Trina Solar and Suntech reported decreases in both shipments and revenue for the first quarter of 2012. Trina Solar reported a 10.6 percent decrease in shipments from 430 megawatts to 380 MW compared with the fourth quarter of 2011, and net revenues were down 19.7 percent.

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Vestas supplying E.I.B.-funded Chinese wind power project

A new wind power project in China’s Guangdong province will be acquiring a number of wind turbines from Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas, after the latter signed a sales contract with project proponent Guangdong Yueneng Wind Energy. The European Investment Bank-funded project will be receiving 25 wind turbines worth 49.4 megawatts from Vestas. The turbines are expected to be installed in the third quarter of the year.

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U.S.-based solar company deploying solar in Bahrain

New Jersey-based Petra Solar, along with Bahrain’s National Oil and Gas Authority, The Bahrain Petroleum Company and Caspian Energy Holdings, is working on a project to use the company’s technology to bring both its solar power and smart grid products to the country. In an agreement, the companies will develop a 5-megawatt distributed smart solar energy project for the township of Awali, the University of Bahrain and a few other locations.

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US anti-dumping ruling ‘unfair,’ ‘unreasonable’ – China

The Chinese government is protesting the anti-dumping duties imposed on Chinese solar cell producers and exports by the United States Department of Commerce called the ruling “unfair” and “unreasonable,” and stating that higher tariffs could hurt efforts to promote clean energy. “By deliberately provoking trade friction in the clean energy sector, the United States is sending the world a negative signal about trade protectionism,” said Shen Danyang, spokesman for the country’s Ministry of Commerce.

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Mongolia to prioritize renewables to meet energy needs

Mongolia has announced that it has started developing its renewable energy industry. According to Mongolian energy minister D. Zorigt, the development of the renewable energy industry has become the priority of the country’s energy sector. The energy minister made the announcement following the Mongolian Renewable Energy 2012 International Conference held Friday.

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Japan to hold first ever international wind energy expo next year

Japan’s very first exhibition and conference on wind energy will be held next year. Wind Expo 2013, the 1st International Wind Energy Expo and Conference, is riding on a shift of interest from nuclear power plants to renewable sources of energy in Japan after the Fukushima Daiichi plant disaster that preceded the Great East Japan Earthquake.

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Indian PV manufacturing industry in ‘dire straits’ – report

Due to a sharp decrease in orders from Europe, the Indian photovoltaic manufacturing industry is in “dire straits” according to a report from Research and Markets. The fall in demand in the European market due to the Eurozone crisis has impacted the Indian solar panel manufacturing industry, as they have almost entirely relied on them for business so far, says the report.

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Renewables bow down to feed-in tariff politics, Philippine style

The event was called the “2nd Philippine Renewable Energy Summit,” attended by about 150 government officials, business executives, bankers, technical experts, and others. The first one was held two years ago. "It's very sad. Indonesia moved ahead. Thailand moved ahead. You've got an abundant potential," said Markus Dietrich, a renewable energy consultant for the German Agency for International Cooperation. In December 2008, the Philippines approved Republic Act 9513, the country’s Renewable Energy Act. The law was supposed to “accelerate” the development of renewable energy resources by providing fiscal incentives to private sector investors.

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