ET Highlights: Platts Renewable Energy Price Explorer, US solar antidumping investigations, EU hydrogen fund winners withdraw

Energy transition highlights: Our editors and analysts bring together the biggest stories in the industry this week, from renewables to storage to carbon prices.

Top story

Interactive: Platts Renewable Energy Price Explorer

Solar and wind power production in Europe's five biggest markets was up 10% year over year in July, but eased slightly from all-time highs in June and May, allowing capture prices to recover, Platts Renewable Energy Price Explorer shows.

German solar capture prices, which fell to five-year lows in May and June, more than doubled to average Eur65.47/MWh for July as the number of negative hourly prices fell sharply compared to record levels in the second quarter.

The capture rate for German solar jumped to 75%, the highest since February, up from a 51% average in Q2.

Spanish prices started July in a bullish fashion, but windy weather and lower temperatures eased pressure in the second half of the month. The volume-weighted average for solar was pegged at Eur46.76/MWh, slightly below July 2024.

SPGlobal.com

US to investigate solar imports from India, Indonesia, Laos

The US Commerce Department has initiated antidumping and countervailing duty investigations on solar cell and module imports from India, Indonesia and Laos at the request of a group of US manufacturers. Commerce will determine whether imports from the three countries are being dumped or unfairly subsidized, and the US International Trade Commission will assess whether the imports have caused injury to the US solar industry.

EC reallocates hydrogen funds as large-scale auction winners withdraw

The European Commission is reallocating funds from its first two renewable hydrogen subsidy auctions after the withdrawal of major winners from the first two rounds. Deutsche ReGas pulled its 210-MW H2-Hub Lubmin project in Germany from the second European Hydrogen Bank auction, while the 560-MW Zeevonk electrolyzer in the Netherlands and the 500-MW Catalina project in Spain also abandoned their EU funding.

Cathay Pacific, DHL expand SAF use in Asia through new cargo partnership

Cathay Pacific Airways and DHL Express have signed a cooperation agreement to expand sustainable aviation fuel production and uptake across Asia, marking the first SAF uplift on Air Hong Kong-operated flights. Under the agreement, Cathay will supply DHL with 2,400 mt of SAF for international cargo flights departing from Seoul Incheon, Tokyo Narita and Singapore Changi airports through 2025.

Platts Connect

US, petrostates band together for IMO showdown over green bunker rules

The US and a group of eight petrostates have made renewed attempts to thwart the International Maritime Organization’s new decarbonization rules, creating uncertainties in future bunker markets while readying themselves for a showdown in October.

Australia’s 2035 NDC rejig unclear amid persisting sluggishness in ACCU market: AER summit

A revision or rejig of Australia’s Nationally Determined Contribution for 2035, expected to be announced in September ahead of COP30, was unclear even as several participants were waiting for it to gauge market direction for ACCUs, sources told Platts on the sidelines of the Australasian Emissions Reduction Summit in Melbourne over Aug. 13-14.