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Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) selects 67 companies to develop 4.3 GW project

renewable_energyHuge interest in Egyptian renewable energy tender
05. JANUARY 2015 | GLOBAL PV MARKETS, APPLICATIONS & INSTALLATIONS | BY: JONATHAN GIFFORD
The chairman of Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority (NREA) has revealed that 67 companies have been selected to take part in developing 4.3 GW of renewable energy projects in the country. The successful companies were chosen from 177 applicants. http://www.pv-magazine.com/news/details/beitrag/huge-interest-in-egyptian-renewable-energy-tender_100017661/#ixzz3OAPGU0b4

January 7, 2015 Posted by | Egypt, renewable | Leave a comment

USA’s most ambitious renewable energy target proposed by California’s Governor, Jerry Brown

California Governor Proposes Most Ambitious Renewable Energy Target In U.S.   DeSmogBlog MIKE GAWORECKI 6 JAN 15  California Governor Jerry Brown used the occasion of his fourth inaugural address to propose an ambitious new clean energy target for the state: 50% renewable energy by 2030.

“We are at a crossroads,” Brown said in announcing the proposal, according to Climate Progress. “The challenge is to build for the future, not steal from it, to live within our means and to keep California ever golden and creative.”

Already the leader in installed solar capacity and third when it comes to wind power, the Golden State had previously adopted a Renewable Portfolio Standard mandate to procure 33% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, a goal it was easily on pace to meet.

Environmentalists were quick to applaud Governor Brown’s 50% by 2030 proposal, which would give California the most ambitious renewable energy target of any US state, eclipsing Hawaii’s 40% by 2030 target.

But given the current growth rate of California’s renewable sector, even 50% by 2030 might not end up being that ambitious, according to Abigail Dillen, Vice President of Climate and Energy for Earthjustice.

“Indeed, projecting the current growth in renewables to the following decade is likely conservative given that the cost of solar and other renewable resources is expected to continue to decrease. So 50% renewable is achievable and should be seen as the bare minimum for 2030,” Dillen told DeSmog………http://www.desmogblog.com/2015/01/06/california-sets-ambitious-new-renewable-energy-target

January 7, 2015 Posted by | renewable, USA | Leave a comment

Australian uranium miner Paladin will have to comply with Canada’s new tax transparency laws

Canada transparency laws force ASX companies to disclose tax bills, The Age December 26, 2014    Business reporter Two Australian mining companies will be forced to disclose how much tax they pay in every country around the world by new transparency laws introduced in Canada.

Paladin Energy and OceanaGold, both dual-listed in Australia and Canada, will have to comply with new Canadian laws requiring all oil, gas and mining companies to report payments they make to governments overseas, including taxes, royalties, bonuses, regulatory charges and licence fees.

The Australian government is being pushed to introduce similar rules.

The legislation aims to tackle corruption and tax avoidance in poor countries, as well as payments to indigenous groups. It follows mounting global pressure by transparency organisations and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development to introduce a country-by-country reporting regime.

The new rules are expected to come into force by June 2015 after passing through the Canadian parliament on December 16.

Claire Spoors, a spokeswoman for advocacy group Publish What You Pay, said the Abbott government should consider introducing similar laws in line with Canada’s.

“Australia, as a mining giant, could make a real difference in helping resource-rich but poor countries prosper by ensuring there is greater transparency,” she said.

“Well-managed and properly accounted-for resource revenues can be invested in health, education and putting countries on sustainable development pathways.”……….

the Abbott government has signalled it could water down transparency laws introduced under Labor. The tax disclosure laws would mean that from July, companies with $100 million or more in turnover would have their tax information disclosed on the Australian Taxation Office website.

Finance Minister Mathias Cormann told Fairfax Media the government would review the laws following complaints by private business owners that they could be kidnapped and held for  ransom when people realised how wealthy they were  from their published tax information.

Senator Cormann said the laws showed a “ham-fisted, ill-thought-out approach trying to crack a nut with a sledgehammer”.

But advocates say greater transparency will boost confidence in the broader community that large companies are paying their fair share of tax.

Australia has endorsed the OECD’s reporting regime, which is not due to be introduced until 2018.

It has also signed up to the OECD’s common reporting standard for governments sharing tax information, after criticism that it delayed the process by consulting big business.

OceanaGold has operations in New Zealand, the Philippines and Australia. Paladin Energy has projects in Namibia, Malawi, Niger, Canada and Australia.  : http://www.smh.com.au/business/mining-and-resources/canada-transparency-laws-force-asx-companies-to-disclose-tax-bills-20141224-12akhd.html#ixzz3OBT5BW5V

January 7, 2015 Posted by | AUSTRALIA, politics international | Leave a comment

Pakistan makes a big move towards renewable energy with feed in solar tariffs

solar-feed-inflag-pakistanPakistan to pull solar energy into national power grid – TRFN BY AAMIR SAEED REPORTING BY AAMIR SAEED; EDITING BY LAURIE GOERING Tue Jan 6, 2015  ISLAMABAD, (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Amid a worsening energy crisis, Pakistan has approved the use of grid-connected solar energy, rooftop solar installations and mortgage financing for home solar panels to boost uptake of clean energy in the country.

The government has also reversed course and eliminated a 32.5 percent tax imposed on imported solar equipment in the country’s 2014-2015 budget. The reversal aims to bring down the cost of installing solar panels.

The approval of net-metering – which allows solar panel purchasers to sell power they produce to the national grid – is a major breakthrough that could spur use of solar energy and help Pakistan’s government cut power shortages in the long run, said Asjad Imtiaz Ali, chief executive officer of the Alternative EnergyDevelopment Board, a public organisation.

“The initiative will help scale up demand for solar energy acrossPakistan,” he said, “and we hope the increased demand will also result in sufficient decreases in the price of solar equipment.”

Ali said the government decided to cut newly imposed taxes on the import of solar panels following pressure from business owners, the public and media.

And the decision to allow solar generators to sell their excess generating capacity means “consumers can now install rooftop solar systems and sell the extra energy to the national grid,” he said……….

Qamar-uz-Zaman, an expert on climate change with Lead Pakistan, a non-profit organisation in Islamabad, predicted net-metering and private sector financing for solar installation would revolutionise the use of renewable energy in Pakistan, as it has done for many other developed and developing countries.

“Pakistan can cut carbon emissions to a significant extent and access international climate financing by promoting solar energy, besides overcoming its energy crisis,” he said. http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/01/06/pakistan-solar-idUSL6N0UL15J20150106

January 7, 2015 Posted by | decentralised, Pakistan | Leave a comment

At least AREVA is selling some wind turbines, though not nuclear reactors

Iberdrola awards AREVA its largest renewable energy business to date January 6, 2015
Source: Iberdrola Iberdrola has signed with Areva its largest renewable energy contract to date, valued at approximately €620 million, for the supply of wind turbines to its Wikinger offshore project.

The French company will supply 70 M5000-135 5MW wind turbines, worth €550 million. For the first time, Iberdrola will be installing 5-MW turbines in a wind facility.

Under the terms of the contract, AREVA will also provide maintenance services, valued at €70 million, for a 5-year period which may be extended for another five years…..http://www.pennenergy.com/articles/pennenergy/2015/01/iberdrola-awards-areva-its-largest-renewable-energy-business-to-date.html

January 7, 2015 Posted by | business and costs, France | Leave a comment

Middle East’s first GW-scale tender for solar power swamped with applicants

Solar twice oversubscribed in Middle East’s first GW-scale tender  http://www.pv-tech.org/news/solar_twice_over_subscribed_in_middle_easts_first_gw_scale_tender  5 Jan 15 Egypt’s recent renewable energy tender was twice oversubscribed for solar projects, it has been revealed.

The Egyptian government is expected to reveal the full list of pre-approved projects in the region’s first gigawatt-scale tender later today.

The law firm Eversheds hosted an event in December with the chairman of Egypt’s New and Renewable Energy Authority and the managing director of the electricity regulator, EgyptERA. The subject of the country’s 4.3GW feed-in tariff programme was raised. The scheme includes 2GW of large-scale solar, 300MW of PV projects under 500kW and 2GW of wind.

Michelle T Davies, head of Eversheds’ clean energy and sustainability group, spoke to PV Tech after the event: “They explained more about the programme during that day. They had 178 projects apply for the FiT and they have pre-qualified 67. Forty of those are solar. The rest are wind.

“Solar was more than double subscribed and wind was 56% subscribed. So the wind tender will go out again,” she said, adding that the first power purchase agreements are likely to be awarded in the first half of 2015.

PV plants between 500kW and 20MW will receive a rate of US$0.136/kWh. Project between 20 and 50MW will be offered US$0.1434/kWh. Contracts will be offered for a 25-year term.

January 7, 2015 Posted by | Egypt, renewable | Leave a comment

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