Genesis Energy has received fast-track approval to develop a 220 MW solar farm near Foxton, New Zealand. The project is expected to generate about 345 GWh of renewable electricity annually, enough to power approximately 47,000 homes. Genesis submitted the application in February 2026, with approval taking about 3.5 months after an independent expert panel was appointed. It is the 32nd project and eighth renewable energy project to receive Fast-track approval in New Zealand, according to the government, which is working to speed up processing and approval time for solar in the country (see New Zealand Targets ‘Simplest’ Solar Approvals In Developed World).
La Caisse-backed Edify Energy of Australia has reached financial close on its Ganymirra and Majors Creek solar and battery hybrid projects in Queensland. Located near Townsville in Woodstock, the projects will combine 360 MW of solar generation with 300 MW/1,200 MWh of battery storage capacity. The projects are backed by the Australian Government’s Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) and are Edify’s third and fourth projects to reach financial close under the scheme. They are expected to become operational in 2028 and generate enough electricity to power more than 100,000 homes. Edify said it achieved financial close on the projects across a syndicate of 14 domestic and international lenders. DT Infrastructure is the EPC contractor and CATL the battery supplier for the project, along with Powerlink, the network and connection works head contractor.
Australia’s largest aluminum smelter, Tomago Aluminium, will source 100% clean energy supply for its operations, underpinning nearly 3 GW of new renewable energy and firming capacity. With the governments of Australia and New South Wales (NSW) contributing a combined AUD 2.5 billion to ensure sustained operations, Tomago will enter into a 10-year power purchase agreement (PPA) covering electricity supply through 2038. The smelter will be supplied with 100% renewable electricity from 2033, when the current power contract with AGL expires on December 31, 2028. Tomago Aluminium will invest AUD 1.1 billion in the smelter through 2038, including AUD 100 million for decarbonization initiatives.
Rio Tinto, Tomago Aluminium’s largest shareholder, said the shift to fully renewable electricity is expected to cut the smelter’s Scope 1 and 2 operating emissions by 7.1 million tons a year. The agreement is also intended to provide long-term power certainty for the smelter while supporting the integration of more renewable energy into NSW’s electricity system. Tomago Aluminum is the biggest electricity user in NSW; hence, its shift to renewable energy will accelerate decarbonization of more than 10% of the state’s electricity grid.
Japanese real estate company Tokyu Land Corporation and energy solutions firm i-Grid Solutions have established a second fund, TLC VPP2 LLC, to expand their collaboration on rooftop solar on-site PPA projects in Japan. The duo is targeting 300 MW of cumulative development, with plans to invest about JPY 10 billion. The fund follows their first fund, established in November 2023. As of the end of June 2026, the companies had developed about 73 MW, progressing toward their initial target of 100 MW within three years. The new fund will receive rooftop solar projects developed and transferred by i-Grid. Tokyu Land said it aims to strengthen its ownership and operation of distributed solar projects to establish it as a new revenue stream. i-Grid had developed 1,410 solar power plants totaling about 357 MW as of the end of March 2026.
Canadian Solar subsidiary Recurrent Energy has started commercial operations at its 150 MW AC Carwarp Energy Park near Mildura in Victoria, Australia. The utility-scale solar project is backed by a long-term PPA with Microsoft and is connected to Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM). The project is equipped with approximately 243,000 TOPCon solar modules from Canadian Solar and is expected to generate around 405 GWh of renewable electricity annually, according to the developer. Recurrent Energy said that the Carwarp Energy Park has planning and grid approvals for a future 120-MW battery energy storage system (BESS), creating a pathway for hybrid solar-plus-storage operations.
Actis-backed Southeast Asian renewable energy platform Levanta Renewables has broken ground on its 166 MW Barotac Viejo solar PV project in the Visayas region of the Philippines. The project will be integrated with an 80 MWh BESS and is intended to support grid reliability while adding renewable power capacity. Levanta developed the project through its project company Magallanes Solar Energy Corp. Levanta previously awarded the EPC contract to China Energy Engineering Group. Once operational in Q2 2027, it is expected to generate close to 261 GWh of clean electricity annually.
Aquila Clean Energy APAC has started construction of Phase II of its first solar PV-fishery project in Tainan City, Taiwan. The second phase, with 14 MW capacity, will complement the 12.3 MW built under Phase I, which is currently under construction, bringing the project’s total capacity to 26.3 MW. The two phases are expected to generate more than 32 GWh of electricity annually, says Aquila. The project uses a solar PV-fishery model, allowing aquaculture ponds to continue being used for fish farming while solar power is generated above them. Solar panel installation for phase one is complete, with grid connection and energization expected in Q4 2026.
