NRG buys offshore wind developer Bluewater
New Jersey-based NRG Energy is paying an undisclosed cash sum to acquire Bluewater Wind from sellers Babcock & Brown and Arcadia Windpower. Bluewater plans to build offshore wind farms in the US and is developing projects in Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.
In June last year, Bluewater signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with Delmarva Power to supply 200MW of wind energy from its project in Delaware. The wind farm will be located around 12 miles off the state’s coast and will have a capacity of around 450MW. The firm’s plan is to invest approximately USD1.6bn in the project, with operations slated to begin as early as 2012.
Earlier this year, NRG invested USD10m in solar thermal firm eSolar in return for an equity stake and the development rights to three plants. In June, the pair announced plans to build a 92MW facility in New Mexico.
Last month, Babcock sold three US-based wind energy projects to NextEra Energy Resources for USD352m.
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SOLAR
Dow and Caltech in solar research venture
Dow Chemical will team up with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) to develop solar technologies in “multimillion dollar” research initiative. Under the four-year deal, the pair will focus on direct band gap materials which comprise cheaper and more abundant elements than those found in current thin-film photovoltaic (PV) semiconductors.
Enfinity and Titan develop solar projects in India
Belgian renewable energy firm Enfinity is partnering with Indian solar panel maker Titan Energy to develop up to 1GW of solar energy capacity in Andhra Pradesh, India. The pair will construct the projects over the next five years. Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure will lease 3,000 acres of land for the installations. Enfinity will finance and develop the projects and Titan will supply the photovoltaic modules.
China Solar buys thin-film technology firm ThinSilicon
Hong Kong-based China Solar Power (CSP) is paying an undisclosed sum to acquire California-based ThinSilicon. The firm recently opened its first manufacturing facility for amorphous silicon-based photovoltaic modules, scheduled to have a production capacity of 32MW by 2010. Founded in 2007, ThinSilicon develops manufacturing process technology for thin-film solar cells. It claims its technology increases conversion efficiency and lowers cost.
Applied Materials buys Advent Solar
Californian manufacturing equipment maker Applied Materials is paying an undisclosed sum to acquire Advent Solar, which develops crystalline silicon-based solar cells and modules using emitter wrap-through (EWT) technology. The technology removes grid obstructions on the front of the photovoltaic cell by using laser-drilled holes to carry current collected on the front surface to the back. This increases surface area for light absorption and increases the conversion efficiency.
India’s Punj Lloyd forms solar venture
Indian engineering and construction firm Punj Lloyd Group is forming a joint venture with Singapore-based Delta Solar to develop renewable energy projects. The new venture, called Punj Lloyd Delta Renewables (PLDR), will at first focus on developing solar thermal and photovoltaic projects, but plans to build wind farms and biomass energy facilities in future.
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