Saturday, 7 November 2026

The National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) is pursuing a transmission-side initiative called Project Airbag to deploy battery energy storage systems across the Philippine grid, according to the Manila Times.

The program aims to provide fast-response storage and greater operating flexibility. Sy explained that batteries can capture surplus electricity, including daytime solar output, and release it during evening peaks, periods of reduced hydroelectric output, or other tight system conditions, according to the Manila Times.

China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN) brought the initial 25 MW turbine unit of a 50 MW concentrated solar thermal station online in Ngari prefecture, Xizang, on Nov. 6, the China Solar Thermal Alliance reported.

The turbine is part of a broader 150 MW installation that combines 100 MW of photovoltaic capacity with the 50 MW solar thermal plant, according to Interesting Engineering.

CGN characterizes the Gar County site as the highest-altitude grid-connected solar thermal plant in the world and the first such project connected to the grid in Xizang, the China Solar Thermal Alliance report noted.

At full operation, the combined facility is expected to produce roughly 270 million kWh of electricity per year, Interesting Engineering reported.

The Common Lot project, billed as a community-funded solar-plus-storage plant, has opened for investment, according to Solar Power Portal. The project will combine a 7.4 MW solar park with a 10 MWh grid-connected battery energy storage system (BESS).

Separately, GoodWe supplied 16 MW of string inverters and three medium-voltage stations for a solar power plant in Ukraine's Zakarpattia region rated at 22.35 MWp, according to Renewable Energy Magazine. The plant was commissioned in August 2026.

Frontier Energy Limited secured a Capacity Investment Scheme Agreement with the Australian Government for Stage One of its Waroona Renewable Energy Project in Western Australia, according to Kalkine Media. The company announced the agreement on November 6, 2026.

Separately, Essar Renewables signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with NHPC for a 300 MW renewable energy project in Andhra Pradesh, according to Construction World. Essar Renewables is the renewable energy arm of Essar Power.

Two cranberry bogs in southeastern Massachusetts are the first in the country, and possibly the world, to grow cranberries beneath an operating solar installation, according to Grist. This fall marked the second season that cranberries were harvested from beneath the panels.

Distributed Energy Infrastructure built the two projects: a 4.4 MW solar array paired with a 13.5 MWh battery in Kingston, and a 1 MW solar array in neighboring Plymouth, Grist reported.

The panels sit 10 feet above the ground on a tracking axis that tilts to follow the sun throughout the day. Pilings are spaced farther apart than in a standard solar installation so harvesting equipment can move freely through the bog.

Lighthouse, a subsidiary of industrial conglomerate Difare Group, inaugurated the 82 MW Faro de San Marcos solar plant in Ecuador on Nov. 5, according to pv magazine. The facility, located in Baños de San Vicente in Ecuador's Santa Elena province, has entered commercial operation.

The developer described Faro de San Marcos as Ecuador's largest operational and privately owned solar power plant, pv magazine reported. The installation features more than 105,000 bifacial solar modules.

Lighthouse expects the plant to generate approximately 106 GWh of electricity annually, according to pv magazine.

RWE and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have begun commissioning a hydrogen-capable 34 MW gas-fired power plant in Lingen, Germany, according to gasworld.

The two companies plan to test hydrogen shares of up to 100% for electricity generation on an industrial scale over the coming months, MarketScreener reported. The turbine will be fuelled with green hydrogen from RWE's co-located GET H2 Nukleus project, according to gasworld.

The facility marks an effort to demonstrate industrial-scale power generation running entirely on hydrogen rather than natural gas.

The Peoria County Board approved a special use application for the USD 1.5 billion Four Creeks Wind Project on a 12-5 vote, attaching 36 conditions to the development, according to WCBU.

Proposed by Repsol Renewables, the project calls for 113 turbines spread across 27,000 acres in northwest Peoria County, stretching from Brimfield and Princeville to the Knox and Stark county lines, WCBU reported.

Board members Brian Elsasser, Daniel Kelch, Steven Rieker, Paul Rosenbohm, and Matt Windish voted against the application. Planning and zoning director Andrew Braun read through the full list of 36 restrictions the county placed on the development before the vote, according to WCBU.

CMMZE Energy Namibia (Pty) Ltd has revealed plans for a NAD 17 billion green hydrogen and ammonia project in Henties Bay, Namibia, according to Namibia News Digest. The facility is planned to produce 210,000 tonnes of green ammonia annually for export to Europe.

Separately, Cox plans to allocate an additional USD 6 billion to projects in Mexico between 2025 and 2030, according to Mexico Business News.

Aught Windfarm Limited has filed a formal planning application for a wind farm in County Donegal, Ireland, that could feature the country's tallest wind turbines, according to Newsy Today.

The company is seeking permission from Donegal County Council to build the facility across the townlands of Aught, Ture, and Three Trees at Quigley's Point. The proposed development would consist of six turbines, each with generating capacity ranging from 4.26 MW to 4.80 MW.

Tip heights for the structures would range from 150 metres to 202 metres, according to Newsy Today.

The Philippines has the largest cost difference between solar and gas power among five major Southeast Asian economies that together plan nearly 49 GW of new gas-fired capacity, according to the Manila Times.

AI-driven data-centre expansion across Southeast Asia is outpacing electricity infrastructure, producing grid bottlenecks and sustainability challenges, the World Economic Forum reported.