PPE Secures Funding Under Battery Breakthrough Program
PowerPlus Energy Pty Ltd (PPE), the Australian energy storage solutions provider, has received AUD 2.3 million in grants from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) under the latter’s Battery Breakthrough Initiative (BBI). The funding will support PowerPlus in semi-automating its local battery module manufacturing line and expanding its Melbourne factory capacity to up to 150 MWh over the next 2 years. With enhanced production capacity, the company will provide toll manufacturing capacity for other local battery businesses. PPE supplies its storage products to battery storage installation companies and via online stores. The ARENA grant will support PPE’s AUD 6.7 million expansion project, which will support demand from sectors such as agriculture, utilities, and eco-tourism. It also focuses on strengthening local supply chains through partnerships with Australian suppliers.
PPE Executive Chairman Ben Spincer added that it will strengthen the company’s position as Australia’s ‘largest’ battery pack manufacturer and support the supply of Australia-manufactured, accredited, and supported products ‘in a market increasingly dominated by low-cost imports’.
ARENA CEO Darren Miller said the investment will help build domestic battery manufacturing capability as part of Australia’s clean energy transition. With AUD 500 million in funding, BBI is part of the Future Made in Australia (FMA) policy agenda of the Australian government (see Australia To Review National Energy Market To Accommodate Renewable Energy).
Taiwan-based HD Renewable Energy (HDRE) has announced a collaboration with Tokyo Gas covering around 340 MW of battery energy storage system (BESS) projects in Japan. The partnership includes operational services for 149 MW of projects in Aomori, awarded under Japan’s Long-Term Decarbonization Auction (LTDA) scheme. These facilities are expected to begin operations in FY 2029, with HDRE leading development and Tokyo Gas handling operations.
These partners have also signed long-term offtake agreements for about 190 MW of projects across Miyazaki, Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima. Under these deals, Tokyo Gas will pay usage fees over roughly 20 years, providing stable revenue visibility. HDRE says the collaboration will support its broader expansion in Japan, where it is building a 3 GW pipeline spanning project development, power trading, and asset management.
BattMan Energy, the Danish BESS company, has sold a minority stake to Battery Investment Group (BIG), a consortium of renewable energy developers. The funding will support the construction of BattMan’s battery energy storage portfolio exceeding 1 GWh, with projects scheduled for commissioning in 2026 and 2027.
BIG investors include GK Gruppen ApS, LISBY WP ApS, Salling Vindkraft ApS, Harbo Renewables Invest ApS, JHC Investments ApS, Carsten Bach Holding ApS, Petri Holding ApS, PMN Holding ApS, JJB Vind ApS, and ESO Holding ApS.
The company said this investment strengthens its growth strategy as an independent power producer (IPP) focused on energy flexibility and renewable transition. BIG investors highlighted battery storage as key to addressing grid constraints and enabling further integration of renewables in Denmark and beyond. Since its launch in 2022, BattMan says it has secured over DKK 2.5 billion in investments. Its current project pipeline totals 350 MW / 1,040 MWh, which could meet around 9% of Denmark’s average electricity demand once operational.
PGE Energia Odnawialna, a subsidiary of Polish utility PGE Polska Grupa Energetyczna, has selected a consortium of SPEC BAU POLSKA and EL PROFESSIONAL as the general contractor for the Gryfino Battery Energy Storage Facility. The project, located in Nowy Czarnów, will have a capacity of up to 400 MW and at least 800 MWh, making it the most powerful battery installation in Poland, claims the company. It is expected to improve grid flexibility, support the integration of renewable energy, and enhance power supply security.
The BESS installation will be located in the Gryfino area, where a 1.36 GW modern gas-steam plant is already operational. A new gas unit with 600 MW capacity is also planned on site, and a new gas-fired heating plant is scheduled to begin operations here.
The storage system will use technology from Fluence Energy, including its SmartStack platform. The Gryfino project is part of PGE’s broader strategy to expand large-scale battery storage, following its earlier investment in Żarnowiec.
Encavis Commissions Co-Located Solar-plus-Storage Project
Germany-headquartered IPP Encavis has commissioned a 15 MW/30 MWh BESS in Beemte Broekland near Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. The grid-scale battery, co-located with the Bloemenkamp Solar Park, will store locally generated solar power and supply it during periods of high demand or grid stress, helping improve flexibility and stability in the Dutch electricity system.
The system will participate in multiple flexibility markets, including Frequency Containment Reserve (FCR), aFRR, and mFRR services, as well as imbalance and congestion management, shared Encavis. Developed by Green Energy Storage and delivered with Alfen as EPC contractor, the project uses CATL EnerOne+ battery technology, with Greenchoice acting as the offtaker and market interface.
“With the Apeldoorn battery now operational, we are further expanding our ability to deliver integrated energy solutions to our customers,” said Encavis CEO Mario Schirru. “The combination of renewable generation, battery storage and demand‑oriented market optimisation allows us to provide clean electricity when it is needed most.”
UK-based Centrica has commissioned 2 BESSs in Borlänge, Sweden, with a combined capacity of 40 MW. Developed in partnership with Omexom, the projects are expected to deliver around 21,900 MWh annually and provide grid flexibility by balancing electricity supply and demand.
The systems, which can store renewable energy and discharge it during peak demand, can power the equivalent of about 1,100 homes for a year. Centrica Energy will optimize the assets as part of its growing European portfolio, which exceeds 770 MW of contracted BESS capacity.
The project forms part of Centrica’s broader £4 billion investment plan to support the transition to a low-carbon energy system, including investments in battery storage, renewables, hydrogen, and nuclear energy.
European Energy Raises €60 million via Green Bond Tap
Denmark-based European Energy A/S has raised an additional €60 million through a tap issue of its existing 2028 green bonds, taking its total bond volume to €210 million. The funding will support faster execution of its renewable energy pipeline across solar, wind, battery storage, and Power-to-X projects.
The added capital will enable the company to build more projects, progressing simultaneously from development to construction and operation, improving delivery timelines and reducing reliance on external factors. European Energy said it will expand the pool of construction-ready assets, allowing more flexible investment structures such as co-investments and staged divestments. The bond raise will support a steadier flow of deals for partners and investors, it added.