Major renewable energy news you might have missed this week

Header image courtesy of Philip Gostelow

AngloGold Ashanti to power gold mine with renewable energy

AngloGold Ashanti Australia will build one of Australia’s largest renewable energy projects in the natural resources sector. The project will power the company’s Tropicana Gold Mine, consisting of a 50 MW solar farm and an 18 MW battery energy storage system. The development will cut the mine’s carbon emissions by 160,000 t annually.

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The UK government defends green levies on energy bills; will bring down future costs

After a two-year suspension due to the pandemic, the UK government is bringing back green levies on energy bills. The levies will add £170 per year to the average bill.

Down Street insists the levies will bring down energy bills over time by stimulating renewable energy investments.

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Noria Energy launches largest floating solar project in South America

Noria Energy has launched a new solar power system that floats on the Urra Dam reservoir in Colombia. The 1.5 MW solar development will demonstrate that hydroelectric dams with fluctuating water levels can be paired with a floating solar generation to enhance energy reliability and boost production.

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Africa REN secures € 32 million funding for the first battery storage project in West Africa

Africa REN has announced it has secured funding for the first battery storage project in West Africa. The project is located in Senegal and funded by the Dutch development bank FMO and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF).

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BlackRock secures $500 million to build Australia’s biggest battery

BlackRock, the world’s biggest fund manager, has raised more than $500 million from co-investors to build the largest grid-scale battery project in the southern hemisphere in Australia, with 850 MW and 1680 MWh of capacity. The Waratah Super battery in NSW will help drive Australia’s transition to a low-carbon economy.

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Hungary to receive €1.1 billion EU aid for energy storage projects

Header image courtesy of Tesla

Hungary has been approved to benefit from a €1.1 billion (US$1.2 billion) EU scheme for financing large-scale energy storage projects, as Energy Storage News reports.

The central European country targets not less than 800 MW/1,600 MWh of energy storage capacity with the funding. The installations will store renewable energy, making it easier to integrate into Hungary’s electricity system.

The fund will be accessible to companies in Hungary’s energy sector, except financial institutions. Developers can also use the fund to finance projects outside Hungary, provided they can transmit the power across the border into Hungary.

Hungary will disburse the fund to all kinds of battery technology. However, lithium-ion remains the most popular battery chemistry.

Successful developers will pass through a competitive process, which will be concluded before the end of 2025. The projects must be completed and brought online within three years of signing the contract.

The EU fund will come partly from Hungary’s Recovery and Resilience Facility share and a Modernization Fund. Other European countries that have accessed EU funding include Greece, Estonia, Croatia, Finland, and Slovenia.