OREANDA-NEWS. Avelar Energy Group, a Renova Group subsidiary implementing alternative energy projects, will adjust its short-term and medium-term strategy to minimize business presence in Southern Europe countries and realign towards Russia, RSA, India and other countries. The decision was taken this week by the Avelar Energy Board of Directors which approved an updated 2013-2017 Business Development Concept.  

 According to Igor Akhmerov, chief executive officer of Avelar Energy, “adjusting the strategy is caused by both considerable interest in alternative energy shown by more new markets and significant downsizing in governmental incentives for clear energy in the European Union caused by the recession”. 

 The Avelar Energy executive emphasized that “rapid downsizing in governmental incentives in the EU is becoming a very acute problem for it is government subsidies that boosted European alternative energy development for long and they were built in long-term business plans of the entirety of the industry players, with our company among them”. He says that the first step under the new strategy will be a gradual exit of Avelar Energy from a number of minority-owned European companies, particularly Aiуn Renewables, an Italian company with 28% of stock controlled by Avelar Energy.

 Russia, RAS, India, Chile, Pakistan, Indonesia and some other countries rank first for future development of Avelar Energy. Specifically, Avelar Energy and the Guma Group, the largest South African financial and industrial group, are desirous of signing a cooperation agreement for solar parks’ construction in South Africa during a Durban summit of the BRICS in late March. Moreover, the Avelar Energy Board approved participation in Round 3 of a South African government tender for solar parks’ construction as suggested by the company management. 

 According to Igor Akhmerov who is also the CEO of Hevel (a JV between the Renova Group and Rusnano), the Avelar Energy Board supported a solar diesel hybrid plant project to be implemented in Russia to supply power to areas with deficit power grids. An Avelar Energy and Hevel team has successfully commissioned such power plant in Altai which is the first in Russia and one of the first in the world. Several similar power plants exploiting Hevel’s solar modules are expected to be put into operation in the Republic of Altai, Yakutia and other regions having high diesel generation during 2013-2014. Given current export potential, the same plants are expected to be supplied to South-East Asian, African and Middle East countries facing difficulties with power-supply in remote areas.
 Apart from off-grid power plants, Avelar Energy and Hevel are going to construct grid-tied solar plants totaling more than 600 MW in Russian regions with a centralized grid before 2020.