L R AS Published on Tuesday 8 March 2022 - n° 396 - Categories:Thread of the Week

The Week in Review n° 396

THIS WEEK'S NEWS HIGHLIGHTS.

The texts to read this week:


FRANCE :

Renewable energies are now irreversible

The collapse in the cost of renewable energy has made it more attractive than electricity from coal or gas. This situation seems to be definitive. The expansion of RE will continue. Provided that we manage to provide electricity at night without wind. Renewable energies must be able to account for more than 50% of electricity consumption.

"Renewable energies have already won," says Sébastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia.

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THE TREND

The European dilemma with the Russians

When Europe is 40% or 45% dependent on Russian gas deliveries, it can be said that Russia is weighing on European activity and preventing a more brutal reaction from Europeans. So can Russia impose its views on Europe? How can we get out of this dependence in the short term? How far can we go to oppose the Russians, and will we suffer reprisals? Opinions differ

A vision (worrying? realistic? underestimated?) of the situation

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How to impose retaliatory measures against the invasion of Ukraine when one is 40% dependent on Russian gas?

The question is on the minds of European leaders: how to impose sanctions on Russia for invading Ukraine if Europe is 40% dependent on Russian gas and oil: what is imposed on one side is cancelled on the other. In this dilemma, ideas are flourishing. One of the first to present a list of measures is the IEA, which advocates a reduction in purchases, a change in our consumption, and action in the medium or long term...

The IEA recommends ten attitudes to reduce the weight of Russian gas

The ten points elaborated by the IEA to reduce European dependence on Russian gas

Another presentation of the IEA's proposals

The quest for a response to the Russian invasion

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THE WORLD :

The spread of solar systems in the US depends on their falling price

As the cost of solar electricity falls and becomes cheaper than gas or coal, homeowners are putting more faith in renewable energy. Lower prices allow new categories of households to install solar systems. As a result, the number of households installing solar systems is increasing.

The US energy situation at the end of 2021; 17.8 GW installed

PV is gaining US customers with lower incomes

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Germany presents its plan to increase the share of RE

This is not a surprise, but a realisation of the government contract. The government has just detailed the programme to achieve 80% renewable electricity by 2030. It is ambitious and requires an increased supply of panels and wind turbines. Will it be possible to find the PV components needed to achieve this ambition?

Germany wants to accelerate its renewable energy installations

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The Italian renewable energy programme

The Italian government reacted quickly. It has virtually abolished the various administrative authorisations that hamper the installation of small-scale rooftop projects and has taken steps to develop self-consumption by small businesses.

Italy has already taken measures to boost RE installations

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MANUFACTURERS:

First Solar's 2021 accounts are modest. 2022 accounts will be marked by investments

First Solar's 2021 financial year is modest and even mediocre in view of the shortage of panels that has existed in the world. It blames procurement, overheads and investment in new factories and research and development to develop new products

For 2022, management is very cautious and emphasises the costs it will incur in developing new factories. It is true that the company plans to double its production capacity by the end of 2024

First Solar in 2021 below targets lowered in January

A flood of constraints on First Solar's business in 2021-2022

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Silicon prices have doubled in one year. This has helped Daqo's bottom line, with a net margin of 45%.

By benefiting from the rising silicon price while having particularly low costs, silicon manufacturer Daqo achieves a net margin of 45% of sales. With such a high margin, it is no wonder that the company is doing everything it can to increase its production capacity and, above all, to keep silicon prices high and even very high. Nothing seems expensive enough for its production. This is easy to understand.

Daqo's net margin in 2021 reaches 45% of turnover

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Good growth in activity and gross profit for Soltec

With a 46% growth in activity and a 57% increase in gross operating profit (EBITDA), Soltec has had a good year, even if the net result is a loss

Soltec in 2021, strong growth in activity

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The rumour of the reindustrialisation of PV is encouraging some to get involved

Two projects are announced this week. But if it is to produce between 100 and 300 MW per year, what is the point? You need to build one, two or three large-scale complexes capable of producing 2 to 5 GW per year, to reduce costs, and to establish yourself in the market. Not in three or five years, but within a year at the most, to meet the demand that will swell in the next few quarters.

Panel factory construction project in Spain

A panel factory in France within three years?

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SMA suffers its industrial accident again

The discovery of malfunctions in its inverters forces the company to increase its provisions, especially since its customer has broken its maintenance contract

SMA lowers its forecasts for 2021 a second time

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