Solar PV manufacturing in India: One of the upcoming destinations for solar PV manufacturing beyond China is India, where companies are gathering support from technologists and scientists to develop an upstream value chain. The idea is not just to establish vertical integration but also to make it a resilient and sustainable one. TaiyangNews is bringing together the country’s leading solar PV players, and international experts to discuss the progress of solar PV manufacturing in the Asian country in a 2-day event in New Delhi, India on April 10 and 11, 2025. International solar research center Fraunhofer ISE’s Head of Technology, Jochen Rentsch, will join the conference, alongside speakers from ISC Konstanz, Huasun Energy and Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay to discuss the status and outlook for solar cell and module technologies. Registrations for the TaiyangNews Solar Technology Conference India 2025 are open now with an early bird ticket discount available here. Take a look at the list of speakers and insightful sessions planned.
Lightsource bp signs PPA for 585 MW DC: The Newcastle Coal Infrastructure Group (NCIG) will power its Kooragang Island facility, from where it supplies coal to the world, with solar power. It has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with Lightsource bp for the latter’s 585 MW DC Goulburn River Solar Farm. The project will provide renewable energy at a volume to achieve 100% renewable energy for the Kooragang Island facility from 2030 onwards. NCIG says this PPA will enable it to reduce its carbon footprint. A winner of Australia’s Capacity Investment Scheme tender I, Lightsource bp’s Goulburn River Solar Farm is currently under construction in New South Wales (see Asia Pacific Solar PV News Snippets: Joint Venture For 400 MW Solar Farm In New Zealand & More).
176 MW Philippines solar project: Spanish renewable energy company ACCIONA Energia has started construction on its 176 MW Daanbantayan Solar Plant in the Philippines, on the island of Cebu. Located in the Daanbantayan municipality, the project represents close to €120 million in investment. It is projected to come online in late 2026 and generate 280 GWh/year. It will also be accompanied by a battery energy storage system (BESS) to help stabilize the power grid. This is the Spanish company’s maiden solar PV plant in the Philippines, and also the largest solar project under construction in the Visayas archipelago, according to ACCIONA. It says that for the 176 MW project, ACCIONA has signed the country’s ‘1st’ public-private partnership (PPP) agreement in the energy sector, with the provincial government of Cebu.
190 MW project changes hands: Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) Australia has acquired the 190 MW Axedale Solar and Storage Project in Australia’s Victoria from ACEN Australia. The Axedale project comprises 140 MW AC of solar PV and a 50 MW/100 MWh of BESS capacity. The facility is nearing completion of permitting. In December 2024, it executed a connection agreement with AusNet and AEMO.
Actis acquires 40% stake in Filipino project: Global investor in sustainable infrastructure, Actis has completed the transaction to acquire a 40% stake in Terra Solar Philippines Inc. (MTerra) with MGEN Renewable Energy. Actis completed the deal through its subsidiary, SP New Energy Corporation (SPNEC). MTerra is owned by MGreen, the renewable energy arm of Meralco PowerGen Corp (MGEN). According to Actis, this is the largest foreign direct investment (FDI) in a single project for greenfield infrastructure in the Philippines. MTerra is a 3.5 GW solar and 4.5 GWh BESS project out of which Meralco has contracted power supply from 850 MW for 20 years (see Asia Pacific Solar PV News Snippets: TaiyangNews’ Michael Schmela At RE+ US Manufacturing Conference & More).
Omnidian acquires SSG: Solar Service Guys (SSG), a residential and commercial solar lifetime service provider in Australia, has been acquired by clean energy asset management company Omnidian. SSG will join Ominidian as a fully integrated subsidiary, joining the latter’s Australian arm. This team will combine SSG’s expertise and customer base with that of Omnidian and its AI-enabled analytics, stated the latter. They will deliver comprehensive services and solutions to residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar markets to resolve any asset issues. “This acquisition is a precursor to our continued expansion into new geographies over the next few years, with research in the EU, LATAM, and other markets ongoing,” said Omnidian’s Chief Strategy Officer Raymond Szylko.
5 Sungrow Power solar sites halt generation: Sungrow Power Australia has stopped generating electricity from 5 of its solar farms in Victoria to comply with the order of Energy Safe Victoria. The latter has asked the company to manage the vegetation in and around the projects so as to reduce the potential for bushfires on sites. Operated by its subsidiaries, the Sungrow projects that have been ordered to stop power generation temporarily are located in Raywood, Goornong, Lecourt, Stawell, and Moolort. On February 20, 2025, a fire broke out in the electrical equipment at the Raywood solar farm and spread to the vegetation on site. Sungrow projects under the order went offline at midday on February 22, 2025. They will restart once Energy Safe Victoria says it is satisfied with the vegetation management on site to ensure safety for all.
New Trina Storage product: Trinasolar’s energy storage arm Trina Storage has launched its next-generation Elementa 2 Pro 5MWh energy storage system (ESS) for the 1st time in Australia at the 2025 Energy Storage Summit in Sydney. It features the company’s proprietary 314Ah high-performance Trina Cell, supporting 15,000 cycles, up from 12,000 cycles in Elementa 2. The new launch with its hybrid air-liquid cooling system, can withstand Australia’s complex maritime climate as it is C5 corrosion-resistant certified with IP67-rated waterproof and dustproof battery modules, stated the company.