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SPPC has launched the seventh round of the Saudi Arabian government's National Renewable Energy Program (NREP). It has issued an RFQ in relation to 3.1 GW of solar capacity across four projects.
One facility will have a capacity of 1.4 GW (AC) near Hima in Al-Jouf province, in addition to a second 600 MW (AC) plant near Bisha, Asir province. SPPC is also seeking to assign a 500 MW (AC) project planned in Madinah and a 600 MW (AC) project near Mawqaq, Hail province.
The selected developers must develop and build the facilities on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis. They have until Sep. 29 to pre-qualify for the tender.
The previous auction round was launched by SPPC in September 2024. Through this procurement exercise, it is seeking to allocate 3 GW of solar capacity across four projects.
One 1.4 GW (AC) project is planned to be located near Hima in Najran province, while a second 600 MW (AC) plant is expected to be built near Ad Darb, Jizan province. SPPC is also planning to construct a 600 MW (AC) project in Jazan and a 400 MW (AC) project near Al Sufun, Hail province.
In October 2024, SPPC revealed the selected bidders for the fifth round of the scheme, which aims to allocate 3.7 GW across four projects.
The tendered PV plants include the 2 GW (AC) Al Sadawi plant in eastern Saudi Arabia, the 1 GW (AC) Al Masa’a project in northern Hail province, the 400 MW (AC) Al Henakiyah 2 plant in western Madinah province, and the 300 MW (AC) Rabigh 2 array in western Makkah province.
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India’S Solar Power Surges Past 123 Gw, Driving Renewable Energy Growth In 2025India has made remarkable progress in renewable energy, with solar power emerging as the leading contributor. By the end of August 2025, the country had installed 123,130.13 megawatts of solar photovoltaic capacity, which makes up more than 63.96 percent of its total renewable energy portfolio, excluding large hydro projects. This growth has been supported by falling solar panel prices, technological improvements, strong policy measures, and greater awareness about clean energy.
Between January and August 2025, India added 25,265.41 megawatts of new solar capacity. In August alone, installations touched 4,113.59 megawatts, recording a 3.46 percent increase compared to July. Wind energy also continued to expand, with 541.1 megawatts added during the same month. These numbers highlight India’s determination to scale up clean energy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Government policies have played a critical role in this transformation. The Production-Linked Incentive scheme has encouraged domestic solar manufacturing, while the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers policy has ensured better quality standards. Reintroduced on April 1, 2024, this policy requires government projects to use only certified solar modules. From June 1, 2026, the same requirement will apply to solar PV cells, ensuring improved reliability and efficiency across projects.
As of August 2025, India’s renewable energy capacity, excluding large hydro, stood at 192.517 GW. Solar and wind together contributed nearly 175.81 GW, or over 91.32 percent of this total. Ground-mounted solar remains the largest segment, with 93.90 GW installed, while rooftop solar has grown to 20.85 GW, gaining popularity among households, businesses, and industries. Rooftop systems are being adopted widely for cutting electricity bills and offering more energy independence. In addition, solar-wind hybrid projects have reached 3.26 GW, improving land use and transmission efficiency.
Off-grid solar systems are also making an impact, particularly in rural areas where they replace diesel generators and provide reliable energy access. These include solar lanterns, solar water pumps for agriculture, and local mini-grids. Their combined capacity has crossed 5.12 GW, reducing costs for rural users and cutting pollution.
However, challenges persist. Acquiring suitable land for large solar parks is increasingly difficult, and integrating higher volumes of solar power into the grid requires better transmission infrastructure and modern balancing technologies. Without these, fluctuations in supply could pose risks to stability.
Global developments are also shaping India’s solar journey. Recently, higher U.S. import duties on solar modules redirected many suppliers to India, boosting module availability and lowering costs. This shift has supported faster capacity growth, providing additional momentum for India’s renewable energy targets.
With rapid installations, supportive policies, and rising investments, India is consolidating its position as one of the world’s leading renewable energy markets. The strong push in solar and wind shows that the country is moving steadily toward its clean energy goals, even as it works to resolve land and grid integration challenges.
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Solar Quarter
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16 September 20253 min readIndia’S Solar Power Surges Past 123 Gw, Driving Renewable Energy Growth In 2025
Solar Quarter
16 September 2025
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Rystad Energy Says Kuwait’S Renewable Capacity To Reach Just 3.3 Gw By 2030, Falling Short Of 15% Electricity TargetKuwait is facing growing challenges from extreme heat, aging power infrastructure, and frequent unplanned outages, prompting major investments to improve the country’s electricity grid. At present, renewable energy makes up less than 1% of Kuwait’s electricity generation. The government has set a target to increase that share to 15% by 2030, with natural gas serving as a key transitional fuel.
However, analysis by Rystad Energy suggests this goal may not be achievable within the planned timeline. Their projections indicate that Kuwait’s renewable capacity is likely to reach only 3.3 gigawatts (GW) by 2030, representing about 7% of power generation. A more realistic milestone would be 15% by 2035, when renewable capacity is expected to exceed 11 GW and account for around 20% of Kuwait’s electricity mix.
Kuwait currently has 21 GW of installed power capacity, but only about 17 GW is reliably available during the hottest months. Aging plants and planned maintenance reduce capacity at the time when it is most needed. With summer temperatures reaching as high as 50 degrees Celsius in recent years, demand for electricity peaked at 17.7 GW in July. The strain on the grid forced scheduled power cuts to begin two months earlier than the previous year, while unexpected outages added further pressure, resulting in shortages of more than 1.5 GW during peak demand in May.
Natural gas is expected to play a central role in Kuwait’s energy transition. Rystad Energy forecasts that gas-fired power generation will grow by 17%, reaching 77 terawatt-hours (TWh) by 2030. To support this growth, gas production is projected to rise by 38%, while overall gas demand is expected to increase by 30% over the next five years. The increased demand will be met through a combination of expanded domestic production and liquefied natural gas (LNG) imports.
To secure supply, Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) has signed a 15-year LNG sale and purchase agreement with QatarEnergy, providing up to 3 million tonnes per year of LNG. Additionally, Kuwait plans to build five new large-scale gas-fired power plants, adding 18 GW of capacity. This will raise the country’s total gas power capacity from the current 14 GW to more than 32 GW by 2035.
Nishant Kumar, Analyst, Renewables & Power Research, Rystad Energy, stated, “Blackouts in Kuwait have underscored the strain on the country’s power system, making imports unavoidable if such outages persist. As Kuwait modernizes and turns to renewables to address these challenges, high-profile events like the 2025 Iberian outage have raised questions about the reliability of renewable energy.
Still, it would be myopic to dismiss the capabilities of renewables outright. Kuwait has plans to invest heavily in solar PV, for instance, benefiting from a natural advantage of more than 3,300 hours of sunlight each year. This abundant sunlight supports PV output of 4.6 to 4.9 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per kilowatt-peak per day, helping to meet peak afternoon demand when electricity use is highest.”
A major objective of this strategy is to reduce Kuwait’s reliance on oil for power generation, which currently accounts for 40% of its energy use. By replacing oil with gas in the electricity mix, Kuwait can free up more crude oil for export, which remains the cornerstone of its economy and government revenues. Shifting toward gas will help secure export earnings, stabilize public finances, and meet growing domestic energy needs.
Kuwait’s annual gas demand is currently between 24 and 25 billion cubic meters (Bcm), with the power sector being the largest consumer. Approximately 40% of this demand is currently met through LNG imports, while about 35% comes from associated gas production. This dependence on associated gas ties supply to OPEC+ crude production levels, making it vulnerable to output cuts.
To reduce this risk, Kuwait has invested in non-associated gas development, including both onshore and offshore exploration. Significant progress has been made, with non-associated gas now providing nearly 600 million cubic feet per day—about 25% of total demand. All of this supply currently comes from the onshore Jurassic project located in northern Kuwait, which has become a critical part of the country’s energy strategy.
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16 September 20254 min readRystad Energy Says Kuwait’S Renewable Capacity To Reach Just 3.3 Gw By 2030, Falling Short Of 15% Electricity Target
Solar Quarter
16 September 2025
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Statkraft Sells 1.5 Gw Of Renewables In India To Serentica RenewablesThe Norwegian energy company Statkraft has signed an agreement to sell part of its Indian renewable energy portfolio to India’s Serentica Renewables. The deal includes approximately 1.5 GWp of assets in the state of Rajasthan (northern India), comprising the recently commissioned 445 MWp Khidrat solar plant and a pipeline of solar and wind projects totalling around 1 GWp, currently at various development stages. The transaction is subject to standard conditions precedent and regulatory approvals. In 2024, Statkraft had announced plans to exit the Indian market to refocus its investments on Europe and South America.
Statkraft, active in India since 2004 through its joint venture SN Power, has developed a diversified renewable portfolio across hydro, solar, wind, and power trading. Meanwhile, Serentica Renewables, supported by US$650m from the US-based investment firm KKR, has reached 1 GW of capacity, combining solar, wind, and storage across several Indian states.
ENER Data
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16 September 20251 min readStatkraft Sells 1.5 Gw Of Renewables In India To Serentica Renewables
ENER Data
16 September 2025
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Centrica And X-Energy Plan 6 Gw Fleet Of Modular Reactors In The UkThe UK-based energy group Centrica and X-Energy, a wholly owned subsidiary of the US advanced nuclear reactor technology group X-Energy Reactor Company, have signed a Joint Development Agreement (JDA) to deploy X-Energy’s Xe-100 Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) in the United Kingdom. As a first step, the companies have identified EDF-Centrica’s Hartlepool site as the preferred location for the initial deployment of a planned UK fleet of up to 6 GW of Xe-100 reactors.
A potential deployment of twelve Xe-100 units at Hartlepool could deliver up to 960 MW of new nuclear capacity. The new facility would be built adjacent to the existing Hartlepool nuclear power station, which is currently scheduled to cease operations in 2028. The site is already designated for new nuclear development under the UK Government’s National Policy Statement, and the proposed power plant could also provide high-temperature heat to support nearby heavy industries.
Centrica will contribute initial capital for project development, with the aim of launching full-scale activities in 2026. Subject to regulatory approvals, the first electricity generation from the new reactors is expected by the mid-2030s.
ENER Data
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16 September 20251 min readCentrica And X-Energy Plan 6 Gw Fleet Of Modular Reactors In The Uk
ENER Data
16 September 2025
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Saudi Arabia Launches 3.1 Gw Solar TenderSPPC has launched the seventh round of the Saudi Arabian government's National Renewable Energy Program (NREP). It has issued an RFQ in relation to 3.1 GW of solar capacity across four projects.
One facility will have a capacity of 1.4 GW (AC) near Hima in Al-Jouf province, in addition to a second 600 MW (AC) plant near Bisha, Asir province. SPPC is also seeking to assign a 500 MW (AC) project planned in Madinah and a 600 MW (AC) project near Mawqaq, Hail province.
The selected developers must develop and build the facilities on a build-own-operate (BOO) basis. They have until Sep. 29 to pre-qualify for the tender.
The previous auction round was launched by SPPC in September 2024. Through this procurement exercise, it is seeking to allocate 3 GW of solar capacity across four projects.
One 1.4 GW (AC) project is planned to be located near Hima in Najran province, while a second 600 MW (AC) plant is expected to be built near Ad Darb, Jizan province. SPPC is also planning to construct a 600 MW (AC) project in Jazan and a 400 MW (AC) project near Al Sufun, Hail province.
In October 2024, SPPC revealed the selected bidders for the fifth round of the scheme, which aims to allocate 3.7 GW across four projects.
The tendered PV plants include the 2 GW (AC) Al Sadawi plant in eastern Saudi Arabia, the 1 GW (AC) Al Masa’a project in northern Hail province, the 400 MW (AC) Al Henakiyah 2 plant in western Madinah province, and the 300 MW (AC) Rabigh 2 array in western Makkah province.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
PV Magazine
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16 September 20252 min readSaudi Arabia Launches 3.1 Gw Solar Tender
PV Magazine
16 September 2025
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Celsia Targets 1.2 Gw Of Renewables In Peru By 2028The Colombian energy company Celsia, part of Grupo Argos, has launched Celaris Energy, a new renewable energy investment platform in Peru aimed at mobilising more than US$1.2bn in clean energy projects. As part of its expansion strategy, Celsia plans to develop a portfolio of renewable projects targeting the industrial sector, with a goal of reaching 1.2 GW of installed wind and solar capacity by 2028.
The initiative includes a diversified pipeline of projects across several regions of Peru. Among the key developments is the Caravelí wind park, a 218 MW facility currently under development in the district of Lomas, in the Arequipa region. The wind project is expected to come online in 2026.
Peru’s installed capacity in 2024 included nearly 1.2 GW of wind and over 500 MW of solar.
ENER Data
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15 September 20251 min readCelsia Targets 1.2 Gw Of Renewables In Peru By 2028
ENER Data
15 September 2025
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Das Solar Enters Back-Contact Business With 5 Gw Cell FactoryDAS Solar has taken a formal step toward industrializing BC solar cells after local authorities in Guizhou published an EIA public-participation notice for a 5 GW BC high-efficiency cell project.
The Weining County filing, dated Sept. 8, identifies the developer as Das Solar New Energy Technology (Weining) Co. and lists a 177,000-square-meter site planned for cell workshops, chemical stores, wastewater treatment, a 110 kV substation and associated support infrastructure.
The project remains at the EIA disclosure stage. The company and local government have not published a detailed construction timetable or final capital budget.
Das Solar signed a CNY 2 billion (280.7 million) agreement with the Weining authorities in April 2024 for a related n-type cell project. The company’s existing Weining manufacturing base also completed a 2.4 GW n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) module line in January 2024 with a reported investment of CNY 310 million and an annual output value of about CNY 2.5 billion. If the earlier CNY 2 billion framework corresponds to the new 5 GW factory, that would imply a development cost of roughly CNY 400 million per GW – a notional figure that requires official confirmation.
Technically, the move reflects a deliberate shift from DAS Solar’s established TOPCon expertise toward a dual-track strategy. The company describes its BC approach as “DBC” – a hybrid that transfers TOPCon’s SiOx/Poly-Si passivated contact architecture to the rear of the cell and combines it with a full back-contact design. The intended result is a front surface free of metal busbars, higher current density and retention of TOPCon’s cost characteristics.
DAS Solar claimed third-party verification for recent performance gains: a DBC cell registered at 27.77% efficiency with an open-circuit voltage of 745.7 mV, certified by the China Photovoltaic Testing Center (CPVT). It said it has filed more than 60 patents related to BC technology and has led drafting of some 20 industry and group standards.
DAS Solar added that its “DBC 3.0 Plus” is compatible with TOPCon-5.0 process flows and ready for scale-up in 2025, with an initial market focus on distributed generation and BIPV. At the module level, the company showcased a “Diamond” DBC product at SNEC PV+ 18th (2025) International Photovoltaic Power Generation and Smart Energy Conference and Exhibition, advertising a 670 W output and 24.3% module efficiency.
DAS Solar remains an active TOPCon player. Since its founding in 2018, it has advanced TOPCon through successive generations, reporting a 2024 mass-production average module efficiency of 26.7% and continued process upgrades into 2025. The company said it has built about 40 GW of battery and module capacity across several Chinese provinces and aims to lift component capacity toward 50 GW by the end of 2025.
According to market research firm PV InfoLink, DAS Solar was the world’s ninth-largest module supplier in 2024.
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PV Magazine
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15 September 20253 min readDas Solar Enters Back-Contact Business With 5 Gw Cell Factory
PV Magazine
15 September 2025
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Italy’S Second Fer X Solar Auction Draws Bids For 10.1 GwFrom pv magazine Italy
Italian energy agency Gestore dei servizi energetici (GSE) has announced that the second solar energy auction under Italy's new incentive scheme for renewable energy, the “transitional” FER X program, has attracted 818 project proposals with a combined capacity of 10.1 GW.
The GSE has also said that the auction's final results will be announced on December 11.
The procurement exercise is expected to allocate a minimum of 200 MW of PV capacity and a maximum of 1.6 GW.
Commercial and industrial PV projects, as well as large-scale PV facilities, can participate in the auction, which is expected to be held between Oct. 17 and Nov. 16.
For PV projects not exceeding 1 MW in size, the Italian government excluded the use of solar modules, cells, and inverters from China.
The first auction of the transitional FER X program attracted 1,387 project proposals with a combined capacity of 17,537 MW, according to GSE. Prequalified project developers have until Sept. 12 to submit final offers.
In the latest tender under the earlier version of the FER X scheme, which is Italy’s 16th such auction, the GSE awarded 278.5 MW of solar capacity across 53 sites and approved two wind projects totaling 88.4 MW.
Developers submitted maximum discounts ranging from 2.01% to 7.91% off the auction ceiling price of €0.078175 ($0.084949)/kWh. The lowest accepted bid was €0.07199/kWh for a 2.7 MW solar plant in the province of Ancona, central Italy.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
PV Magazine
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15 September 20252 min readItaly’S Second Fer X Solar Auction Draws Bids For 10.1 Gw
PV Magazine
15 September 2025
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Ib Solar Plans 4 Gw Topcon Cell And Module Factory In IndiaFrom pv magazine India
PV module manufacturer IB Solar has secured a Letter of Intent from the Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (YEIDA) for the allotment of 25 acres of land for its proposed 4 GW solar cell and module manufacturing facility.
The company, which currently manufactures solar panels and lithium ferro phosphate batteries, will build the integrated solar cell and module plant in Sector 8, near the upcoming Noida International Airport, with an investment of about INR 30 billion.
Abhinav Mahajan, director at IB Solar, told pv magazine the facility in Uttar Pradesh will produce TOPCon cells and modules. It is scheduled for commissioning by 2027.
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PV Magazine
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15 September 20251 min readIb Solar Plans 4 Gw Topcon Cell And Module Factory In India
PV Magazine
15 September 2025
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Eu Court Annuls Approval Of Hungary’S Aid To 2.4 Gw Rosatom Nuclear ProjectThe European Court of Justice has struck down the European Commission's decision to approve state aid from Hungary for the construction of the Paks II nuclear power plant in Hungary, arguing that it was unclear whether the Hungarian government had followed EU procurement rules when awarding the contract to the Russian state-owned nuclear corporation Rosatom without a public tender procedure.
The Court ruled in September 2025 that the European Commission should have taken into consideration EU public procurement rules when it approved Budapest’s plans to subsidise the construction of two new nuclear reactors built by Rosatom at the existing Paks nuclear power station site, about 120 km south of Budapest. The original 2017 decision by the commission to approve the investment aid had been contested by Austria, which has traditionally been anti-nuclear power.
Hungary’s government has announced that it would continue the project as planned, but was ready to cooperate with the European Commission to demonstrate it had met public procurement and state aid requirements. In December 2024 the Hungarian nuclear regulator approved a preliminary safety report for the project, known as Paks II (2.4 GW), paving the way for the pouring of first concrete.
ENER Data
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12 September 20251 min readEu Court Annuls Approval Of Hungary’S Aid To 2.4 Gw Rosatom Nuclear Project
ENER Data
12 September 2025
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South Africa Greenlights A 1 Gw Wind ProjectAMDA Developments has secured an Environmental Authorisation (EA) for its 1 GW Carissa onshore wind project, located near Beaufort West in the Western Cape (South Africa). Under an offtake agreement, the wind plant will help power the 1 Mt/year Coega Green Ammonia project in Nelson Mandela Bay, which is sponsored by Hive Hydrogen.
This concludes the EIA work on all of the Hive Hydrogen’s 3,300 MW of renewable energy assets and the ZAR105bn (USD6bn) Coega Green Ammonia project can now commence with its Front End Engineering Design (FEED). The project is on track to start construction in early 2027 with a commissioning date in December 2029.
ENER Data
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12 September 20251 min readSouth Africa Greenlights A 1 Gw Wind Project
ENER Data
12 September 2025
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Brazil Starts Operating 1 Gw Transmission Line In RoraimaThe 1 GW Manaus-Boa Vista power transmission line in Brazil, which will connect the state of Roraima to the country’s National Interconnected System (SIN), has been commissioned. It comprises 725 km of double-circuit 500-kV transmission lines and three substations for a total investment of BRL3.3bn (USD610m). The project was tendered in 2011, but faced environmental licensing. Construction started in 2021. It was build a consortium named Transnorte Energia, comprising Eletronorte and Alupar, which won the concession for the power line.
Roraima was the last state in Brazil that was not connected to the National Interconnected System (SIN). In 2001, Roraima was interconnected to Venezuela, but supply stopped in 2019, and the state has been since then depend on electricity generated by thermal plants using oil. The transmission line will also allow 700 MW of future hydropower plants in Roraima to be connected to the SIN.
ENER Data
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12 September 20251 min readBrazil Starts Operating 1 Gw Transmission Line In Roraima
ENER Data
12 September 2025
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