/ Canadian investment company Brookfield Asset Management has reportedly agreed to acquire the solar power business of Indian power company Emami Group.

According to reports, Emami Power intends to lower the company’s debts with the divestment of its solar business. Financial details of the deal have not been divulged by the companies.

Moneycontrol reported Emami Group director Harsha Agarwal as saying: “As part of our divestment plan of non-core business assets, we are happy that we could conclude the deal with Brookfield Asset Management to sell our solar power business – Emami Power.”

The group confirmed the deal, but said the solar business is related to its promoter group.

With this deal, the Canadian company is reportedly planning to increase its presence in the Indian renewable energy sector. /

/ Multinational energy supplier EDL has contracted Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas to service three Australian wind fields.

As per the terms of the contract, Vestas will service 23 Senvion turbines with a combined capacity of 47MW.

The turbines are located across the Coober Pedy site in South Australia, Cullerin Range in New South Wales and Wonthaggi in Victoria.

EDL CEO James Harman said: “EDL is pleased to appoint Vestas as our maintenance service provider for the Coober Pedy, Cullerin Range and Wonthaggi wind farms.

“We look forward to a safe and productive relationship with Vestas. They are an industry leader with experience in multi-brand service, and their wide-ranging geographic presence in Australia enables them to provide quality service teams adjacent to our wind assets.”

In a statement, the company said all the agreements will commence immediately and will feature the Active Output Management 4000 (AOM 4000) service programme. /

/ The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has delivered more than 250 consignments of supplies to 80 countries to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic, with more to be shipped in the following days and weeks.

The IAEA assistance consists of equipment and expertise aimed at helping laboratories around the world to advance testing as part of efforts to curb the spread of the virus.

IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said: “One hundred and twenty countries turned to us for help. We mounted the biggest operation of assistance in the history of the IAEA. This is emergency assistance and the effort is going to continue. I am encouraging countries and entities in a position to do so to contribute in this endeavour.

“We have been helping countries through the provision of RT-PCR equipment, as well as accessories for testing and sampling.”

RT-PCR, or reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction, is a nuclear-derived technique to quickly detect the virus causing Covid-19. The IAEA, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations, has in the past helped countries use this method in the detection of diseases such as Ebola and Zika.

The IAEA has also been providing personal protective equipment and conducting webinars and video guidance for health and laboratory professionals on sample collection and processing.

Out of the 80 countries, 49 have also received PCR machines. /

/ Spanish electric utility company Iberdrola has started operation of its CAVAR wind power complex in Navarra, Spain.

The CAVAR wind power complex consists of 111MW installed capacity across four farms in the Navarre municipalities of Cadreita and Valtierra.

The wind farms were built in one year and are equipped with 32 SG 3.4-132 wind turbines.

Iberdrola said that the complex is its largest completed wind farm in Spain since 2012. The project is already supplying clean energy into the grid.

It was built with an investment of more than €100m, which has been green financed by the European Investment Bank (EIB).

The facility is designed to help offset 84,000 tonnes of carbon emission into the atmosphere annually.

During the construction phase, the project is said to have created hundreds of jobs in the region. It also generated €80m in purchases from suppliers.

Iberdrola said in a statement that all the civil works and towers, blades, nacelles, generators, and gearboxes were produced in Navarra, Asturias, Cantabria, Soria, and Burgos.

The clean energy generated by the CAVAR wind complex can generate enough power to meet the average annual power consumption of 45,000 homes. /

/ Swedish power company Vattenfall has made a final investment decision for its 1,500MW Hollandse Kust Zuid 1-4 offshore wind farm project in the Dutch North Sea.

The company is moving on to construct the wind farm, which will be fully operational by 2023. The plans make it the largest of its kind in the world, generating enough clean energy to power more than two million Dutch households.

The company secured permits for the construction of Hollandse Kust Zuid after winning two subsidy-free tender rounds in 2018 and 2019.

Vattenfall CEO Magnus Hall said: “The Hollandse Kust Zuid project underlines our commitment to supply the Netherlands and Europe with fossil-free electricity.

“In addition, the investment decision shows that our determination to deliver on our goal to enable fossil free living within one generation remains firm despite the Covid-19 pandemic.”

The wind farm will be equipped with 140 11MW wind turbines delivered by Siemens Gamesa.

Other suppliers include Sif Group, TKF, Prysmian, Subsea 7, and Swire Blue Ocean.

The facility will be linked to two Dutch TSO TenneT operated offshore substations.

Additionally, Vattenfall says the wind facility will support the Dutch Government in meeting its renewable energy targets. /

/ Global manufacturing company Valmont Industries has acquired a significant stake in Brazil-based Energia Solar do Brasil (Solbras).

The Brazilian company will trade under the Valley brand with immediate effect.

Valley Irrigation president Len Adams said: “As the irrigation industry’s worldwide leader, Valmont supplies products that support critical infrastructure, and the Valley brand is the market innovator in irrigation technology.

“This acquisition allows us to expand our product offerings to include not only the most durable and advanced pivots available but also a sustainable, low-cost energy source to provide power to them, with Valmont Solar Solutions.”

Financial details of the deal have not been divulged by either company. /

/ Global energy player Total has agreed to buy a 51% stake in the Seagreen 1 offshore wind farm project from SSE Renewables.

As per the terms of the agreement, Total will make an upfront payment of $88m (£70m) at closing, with additional payments of up to $76m (£60m) earn-outs in aggregate, depending on performance conditions.

The purchase agreement also covers a potential extension opportunity of up to 360MW.

Total chairman and CEO Patrick Pouyanné said: “Total builds up a strong position in the world’s largest offshore wind market, as it becomes a majority stakeholder in the Seagreen 1 project, one of the largest offshore wind farms in the UK North Sea.

“This move represents a major change of scale for Total’s offshore wind activity in line with our strategy of profitable growth in renewables and low carbon electricity.

“As one of the main actors in the UK energy sector, Total will leverage its extensive expertise in offshore operations and maintenance to contribute to the success of the project alongside country’s leading offshore wind developer, SSE Renewables."

The Seagreen 1 offshore wind farm will have a capacity of 1,140MW, sited 27km from the coastline in Scottish waters of UK North Sea.

It has obtained all the required permits and simultaneously reached final investment decision and financial close.

Construction work at the site began in the first quarter of this year. Upon completion, the facility will be Scotland’s largest offshore wind farm.

Completion of the deal is subject to the approval of public authority’s approval and is expected to be finalised by July 2020. /

/ The UK Environment Agency has granted an environmental permit for the proposed Rivenhall Energy from Waste (EfW) facility in Essex.

Rivenhall’s EfW facility is being developed by energy-from-waste plant developer Gent Fairhead & Co (GFC).

In 2018, pan-European waste company Indaver joined the project with GFC.

The permit for the proposed 49MW EfW plant will allow it to operate with a stack height of 35m, in accordance with the existing planning permission. Construction will take place in a former quarry on the site of a former airfield.

During operations, the proposed EfW plant will maintain strict emissions limits and help preserve the local air quality.

The decision to issue the permit comes after the agency said in January this year that it was “proposing to accept” the permit variation application from Gent and Indaver.

In a statement published by Indaver, the company said: “The proposed facility will contribute to climate resilience and net-zero carbon targets by diverting biodegradable waste from landfill and from export abroad, thereby reducing harmful greenhouse gas emissions and by producing renewable energy.”

Indaver says the EfW facility would support the circular economy by recovering from waste materials of worth such as metals and aggregate.

The clean energy generated by the 49MW facility is expected to meet the electricity demand of more than 60,000 homes in the region.

During the construction and operation phase, the facility will create new employment opportunities and support recycling efforts by the local community. /