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China
Solar growth on the mainland started in the inland provinces, where abundant sunshine and open land favor large solar projects. In recent years development there has slowed, however, due to increasing grid bottlenecks and developers shifting to the more populous coastal areas.
"Rapid build-out of renewables capacity inland was not accompanied by sufficient investment into grid infrastructure, in turn leading to substantial renewables generation curtailment inland," Fitch Solutions analysts wrote.
Those curtailment rates have started dropping. Coupled with the sunset of government subsidies, that trend has made developers more likely to consider building in areas where solar irradiation levels are higher. Thus analysts foresee more solar installations in inland provinces like Xinjiang, Gansu, Qinghai and Inner Mongolia over the next decade.
Solar capacity additions in China recovered in the second quarter of 2019, after last year's approved projects were required to start before July to qualify for higher feed-in tariff. "We expect the substitute effect of renewables to be reinforced, while thermal power will shift to mainly covering the base load required to protect local energy security, and providing peak shaving and backup support to address the volatility and intermittency of non-conventional energy," Fitch Ratings said in an Aug. 8 research note.
Russia
"Today, the Akademik Lomonosov begins its journey to Pevek, where it will guarantee clean and reliable energy supplies to people and businesses across the region," said Rosatom State Nuclear Energy Corp. Director General Alexey Likhachev in an Aug. 23 statement. "This amounts to a significant contribution to creating an Arctic future that is both sustainable and prosperous."
The vessel can produce up to 70 MW of electricity and 50 gigacalories per hour of thermal power. It was specifically designed to supply electricity in hard-to-reach areas of the Russian Federation, where fossil fuel-based electricity generation is very expensive.
Russia plans to eventually export the technology. Rosatom said it has received significant interest in shipboard nuclear power from the Middle East, North Africa and Southeast Asia. The state-owned corporation is currently working on a second-generation floating power unit that will be available for export.
The floating power unit was built not only to meet electricity needs. International Policy Digest points out that the Akademik Lomonosov is part of Russia's grand strategy to take advantage of the rapid loss of sea ice, leading to opening of new shipping routes in the Arctic.
A group of engineers and scientists is proposing a future energy, water, industry, and education park as a permanent solution to help secure the U.S.
The researchers noted that the border passes through arid and semi-arid regions with high solar irradiation and strong, steady winds. A cross-border solar park featuring 1-meter-wide panels could produce approximately 15.8 GWh per day, which is comparable to total hydropower production along the U.S-Canada
"The proposed energy infrastructure can be incorporated into and be an integral part of a border security installation, such as a wall or a fence. This technological buffer can in turn also help to protect the energy infrastructure and prevent illegal immigration across the border," the white paper said.
The researchers are asking for $1.1 billion in new funding to the Department of Homeland Security's budget to begin developing the energy park.
Elsewhere
* Atlas Renewable Energy has placed in service its 156-MWp Juazeiro solar plant in Brazil
* Scatec Solar ASA and its partners have completed another 65 MW of the 390-MW Benban solar project in Egypt
* Renewable energy companies are among the interest bidders in utility Manila Electric Co.'s three procurement auctions for 2.9 GW of capacity in the Philippines
* The Dubai Electricity And Water Authority awarded the construction contract for the 250-MW pumped-storage hydroelectric power station at Hatta, United Arab Emirates
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