Solar PV manufacturing conference: 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. Prof. Dr. Peter Fath, the CEO of RCT Solutions will be in attendance at the conference as part of the executive panel. He will share insights on profitable solar manufacturing along the value chain with technology improvements. Registrations for the TaiyangNews Solar Technology Conference India 2025 are open now here, where you can take a look at the list of speakers and insightful sessions planned.
7 GW solar in Kuwait: Kuwait’s Ministry of Electricity and Water has signed a technical framework agreement with China’s National Energy Administration (NEA) for renewable energy in Kuwait. It entitles Chinese companies to advance the development of the 3rd and 4th zones of the Al Shagaya and Al Abdiliya solar projects with 3.5 GW each. These can be expanded to 5 GW each in the future, according to the Kuwait News Agency.
Algeria’s 80 MW solar project: The Ministry of Energy and Mines in Algeria has announced the launch of an 80.01 MW solar power plant in Al-Abadla. It is part of the country’s national program to build 15 solar PV plants with a combined 3.2 GW capacity across 12 provinces, including Bechar, M'Sila, Bordj Bou Arreridj, Batna, Laghouat, Ghardaia, Tiaret, El Oued, Touggourt, El Meghair, Biskra, and Ouled Djellal. The 80 MW project will be delivered between December 2025 and January 2026 in 2 phases.
Fekola Solar Plant expands: Canada-headquartered gold producer B2Gold Corp. has completed the expansion of the Fekola Solar Plant in Mali. The project has been operational since January 2025. Expansion of the project under phase 2 included the deployment of an additional 46,200 solar panels. Operating at full capacity, the Fekola Solar Plant phase 2 will provide an additional 22 MW of solar capacity and 12.7 MWh of battery energy storage system (BESS) capacity. It expands the total solar power plant capacity to 52 MW and 27.7 MWh BESS. B2Gold says the expanded Fekola Solar Plant is expected to supply approximately 30% of the site’s total electricity demand and is considered to be one of the largest off-grid solar/heavy fuel oil (HFO) hybrid power plants in the world. It will enable the mine to turn off the HFO plant for a portion of the day.
PPA for 120 MW in Tunisia: Norway’s Scatec has entered a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) for its 120 MW Sidi Bouzid II Solar Power Plant in Tunisia. Tunisian state utility Tunisienne de l’Electricité et du Gaz (STEG) is the offtaker of power from the project that Scatec won under a government tender in December 2024. Scatec has also entered a joint development agreement (JDA) with Aeolus SAS of Japan’s Toyota Tsusho Group for the project. It will be owned by the 2 companies on a 50:50 basis and built for TND 87 million. Both previously collaborated for the 60 MW Sidi Bouzid I and 60 MW Tozeur solar projects that are currently under construction in the country. On completion, these projects will contribute to the country’s 30% renewable energy target by 2030 as currently 97% of its current electricity production comes from gas.
EU grant for RE in Eswatini: The Government of Eswatini has been awarded a grant of €820,000 by the European Union (EU) to support micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) in adopting renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions. The EU is backing the initiative as it will enable businesses to become sustainable and profitable while promoting green investments in the country. To be delivered over 4 years from 2025 to 2028, this grant will mainly target smallholder farmers, agribusinesses, and manufacturing enterprises, enabling them to integrate renewable energy technologies into their operations, stated the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) which is backing the project.