It is reported that the company plans to introduce renewable energy into its energy mix by foraying into  building and operating six solar projects at six locations in the country. These locations include Vanderbijlpark, Newcastle, Vereeniging, Pretoria, Thabazimbi, and Saldanha.

The company said in a statement, “The power plants in Vanderbijlpark will have a capacity of 10 MW and 100 MW, while the other sites will each have 10 MW plants. Land for the photovoltaic plants will be made available by ArcelorMittal South Africa for the PPIs.”

Also, the solar projects in Vanderbijlpark will have power supply capacities of 10 MW and 100 MW. That said,   other sites will have projects with a capacity of 10 MW each, media reports said. Also, successful bidders for these projects will be expected to conduct feasibility studies, environmental impact assessments,, applying for permits and sourcing finances for the projects. The scope of work will also include engineering, procurement, and construction work.

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Last year, the company raised $580 million in debt to finance the construction of phase one of the project. Andes Renovables is one of Latin America’s wind and solar generation platforms. It received financing for the project from a consortium of six banks, including CaixaBank, DNB, KfW IPEX-Bank, Natixis, SMBC, and Societe Generale.

The second phase of Andes Renovables is known as Huemul. It is reported that Huemul is one of Mainstream’s three plans to build in Chile. Mainstream’s Group Chief Executive Andy Kinsella, told the media, “Breaking ground at Mainstream’s 1.3 gigawatt Andes Renovables platform is a major milestone in our long-term commitment to bringing low cost, clean energy generation to Chile. The start of delivery of this USD$1.7 billion, three-phase project – one of the largest wind and solar power generation platforms in Latin America – is further evidence of Mainstream’s position as the world’s leading independent developer of renewables, with 9 gigawatts of assets in development across Latin America, Africa and Southeast Asia.”

Huemel will comprise three wind and two solar photovoltaic built in Antofagasta, Atacama, and Los Lagos. Phase one of the project will see three wind and one solar photovoltaic project which is currently under construction, media reports said. The assets are expected to begin commercial operations in 2021 and generate sustainable electricity across Chile.

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It is reported that Minas Gerais has the largest installed solar power capacity of 457MW in the country because of sharp solar coupled with attractive government incentives.

Shell has been looking to invest in Brazil’s renewable energy projects. The company has a team in Brazil to extensively focus on market opportunities.

Wood Mackenzie’s Vice President for Corporate Analysis Luke Parker, said in a statement, “Despite immediate cash flow constraints, Shell and its peers will emerge from this period more determined to make the shift from Big Oil to Big Energy.”

On the global front, Shell is planning an investment ranging between $1 billion and 2 billion to reach its zero emissions target. It is also targeting biofuels projects and emissions capture to increase overall efficiency. Shell CEO Ben van Beurden, said in the statement, “Society’s expectations have shifted quickly in the debate around climate change. Shell now needs to go further with our own ambitions, which is why we aim to be a net-zero emissions energy business by 2050 or sooner. Society, and our customers, expect nothing less.”

The country’s renewable energy sector is attracting both private and corporate investors in China. For example, the Brazilian unit of a Chinese automobiles manufacturer BYD is continuously working to meet demand, a local media reported.

Several countries have set eyes on Brazil’s renewable energy market. Since December 2018, Norway’s Equinor has been operating the Apodi solar plant in Brazil.

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According to the report, around 45 percent of the 200,000 will be in the UAE. While Saudi Arabia will account for 33 percent of the jobs, Kuwait will account for 10 percent, Oman will account for 7 percent, Qatar 4 percent and Bahrain will account for 1 percent of the total job created by 2030.

Currently, the UAE accounts for 79 percent of the solar projects in the GCC region.

Concentrated solar power projects and PV projects will account for 89 percent of the jobs created in the renewable energy sector by 2030.

By 2030, GCC nations would create 124,000 solar PV jobs, 50,000 concentrated solar power (CSP) jobs, and 23,000 jobs for small-scale solar rooftop projects.

The IRENA report also revealed that around 67 percent of the 200,000 jobs created by 2030 in the GCC region would be in construction and installation. IRENA expects jobs in the manufacturing sector will also increase when the market will start to mature.

GCC members are also committed to increase their energy production from renewable sources and reduce their dependency on unclean sources such as coal and fossil fuel. IRENA indicated that the GCC’s installed power capacity grew four-fold between 2014 and 2017.

According to IRENA, renewable energy projects undertaken by GCC nations will also help them save around $76 billion by 2030.GW of renewable energy by 2023.

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In February, the Energy Commission or Suruhanjaya Tenaga launched its third round of tenders (LSS3) for 500MW large scale solar PV plant, according to media reports. The project will be located in Peninsular Malaysia and the power generated will be sold to the national utility Tenaga Nasional. 

Malaysia’s solar tenders will contribute to the government’s aim to generate 20 percent of the country’s electricity from renewable energy by 2025. This suggests that the grid would additionally require approximately 3,991MW of new energy. Media reports said that according to analysts the Cypark Resources and other solar developers might benefit from the second round of LSS project. 

Cypark Resources CEO Datuk Daud Ahmad in April said that the company planned to bid for a 100MW capacity under LSS3. Cypark Resources is the country’s pioneer developer and provider of renewable energy. Even Mega First had expressed its interest to venture into the renewable energy market after successfully operating the Don Sahong hydropower plant in Vietnam, Public Investment Bank told reporters. “This will open up many more opportunities to incumbents and new entrants, with financial impact likely to be more noticeable on the smaller players,” it added. 

Through the LSS projects the government intends to boost electricity generation. 

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The project is a joint venture between Jinko Solar, Marubeni, and Emirates Water and Electricity Company. 

According to media reports, the project uses Jinko Solar’s mono panels, with a tariff of 2.42 cents per kilowatt hour. 

Jinko Solar is the world’s biggest solar manufacturer company. 

The solar project has the capacity to meet the demand of 90,000 people and features more than 3.2 million solar panels. These panels are installed across an 8 km area.

Media reports said that the project will help Abu Dhabi to increase renewable energy production. This way, the use of natural gas will be drastically reduced in electricity generation and ensure energy sustainability in the emirate. Also, its carbon dioxide emissions will reduce by 1 million metric tonnes each year, which is equivalent of reducing 200,000 cars on roads. 

Mohammad Hassan Al Suwaidi, chairman of EWEC, said, “The completion of the project marks a significant milestone in the UAE’s Energy Strategy 2050, launched in 2017, to increase the contribution of clean energy in the total energy mix from 25% to 50% by 2050 while reducing the carbon footprint of power generation by 70%. 

“This is in line with the sectors transformation strategy by providing alternative sources of energy that can help us improve the sustainability of the water and electricity sector.”

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