SUNfarming and France SPIE Join Hands to Build 753MW German Agricultural PV Project
SUNfarming GmbH is joining hands with French SPIE to build a 753MW agricultural PV project cluster in 8 regions of Germany. The project, called Klimapark Steinhöfel, occupies an area of 500 hectares.
Solar systems will be installed at a height of 2.1 meters above the ground, and the same land will be used both for fodder crops and as temporary paddocks for cattle. The project is currently in the building permit stage, with construction scheduled to begin in the third quarter of 2025 and operation in the second quarter of 2026. The electricity generated will be transmitted to the grid through four transformers. SUNfarming has developed a proprietary agricultural concept in cooperation with local farms and agricultural consultants, while SPIE is responsible for building permits, implementation planning, as well as the procurement of materials for the substation, its assembly and commissioning. The company emphasizes that Klimapark Steinbach The company emphasizes that the Klimapark Steinhöfel project demonstrates that agricultural photovoltaic systems not only protect the environment, but also add value to rural areas.
Sunly successfully raises €300 million to help build 1.3GW of renewable energy capacity
Image Source: Sourced from the Internet
Estonian renewable energy producer Sunly has successfully secured €300 million in debt financing, which will be used to accelerate the construction of 1.3GW of solar, wind, storage and hybrid power parks in the Baltic States and Poland.
Image Source: Sourced from the Internet
The financing was backed by infrastructure debt funds from France's Rivage Investment, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP), and a green credit fund from Norwegian pension company KLP. One of the projects supported by the first tranche of financing is the 244MW Risti solar park in Estonia, which is expected to be completed in early 2026, with future plans to expand onshore wind and battery storage facilities, making it the largest solar park in the Baltic region. Other projects to benefit include four solar parks in Latvia with a total capacity of 553 MW that will be integrated with wind or storage. sunly's plan is to develop integrated and hybrid parks that combine wind, solar, and storage batteries to provide power directly to end consumers. This approach will increase the stability of energy production in varying weather conditions, while also reducing the cost of grid connection fees, which are expected to account for more than half of the cost of energy. And in February 2024, Sunly has already raised €66 million in project financing for Poland, and it has now raised a cumulative €300 million in debt for projects in Poland and the Baltics.
Microsoft Becomes Power Offtaker for 200MW Solar Project in Singapore
Microsoft has officially become the 100% corporate offtaker of power for EDP Renewables' SolarNova Phase 8 200MW solar project in Singapore.
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Phase 8 of the SolarNova project is the largest project under Singapore's SolarNova program, which aims to help Singapore achieve 2GW of installed solar capacity by 2030, EDP said, adding that EDP successfully won the project in February 2024 in a competitive process conducted by Singapore's Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Economic Development Board (EDB). Under the 20-year long-term contract signed by the two companies, Microsoft will purchase all renewable power delivered to the grid from EDP's Singapore project, which will install solar modules on more than 1,000 public housing and 100 government-owned buildings in Singapore. This is the second agreement signed between Microsoft and EDP, after the two companies partnered to build a 60MW rooftop solar portfolio project through the EDP-backed Sunseap back in 2018. Microsoft aims to achieve 100% renewable electricity consumption by 2030.
