The latest renewable energy news includes announcements on JinkoSolar, Interlune, Heddle Construction, Quanterness Wind Farm, and others.
JinkoSolar Module Shipments Reach 420 GW as TOPCon 3.0 Capacity Heads Toward 40 GW
JinkoSolar says cumulative solar-module deliveries have exceeded 420 GW, while shipments of its Tiger Neo series have surpassed 250 GW. During the first half of 2026, JinkoSolar shipped 29.6 GW of modules, with approximately 70 percent going to overseas markets. The company expects full-year 2026 module shipments of 60–70 GW and plans to have more than 40 GW of TOPCon 3.0 production capacity by year-end. Its next-generation Tiger Neo 5.0 module reaches more than 700 W of power and up to 25.91 percent efficiency. JinkoSolar expects integrated annual manufacturing capacity to reach around 100 GW by end-2026, including approximately 14 GW overseas. Energy-storage shipments are expected to more than double year over year in 2026.
Interlune Cuts Lunar Helium Extraction Power Requirement by Up to 10 Times
Interlune has demonstrated a new testing method for lunar-resource extraction technology by replicating approximately 15,000 years of solar-wind helium exposure in only four hours, an acceleration of roughly 32 million times. The company implanted helium into ilmenite and successfully extracted it at temperatures of approximately 300°C to 800°C, consistent with Apollo lunar samples. Interlune’s planned mechanical Harvesting System is designed to use up to 10 times less power than conventional extraction methods that require heating lunar material to nearly 1,000°C. Its Houston research laboratory is supported by a Texas Space Commission grant of up to $4.84 million. Interlune has already secured nearly $500 million of binding helium-3 purchase agreements, raised $23 million in VC funding, and obtained more than $18 million in U.S. government R&D funding.
Orkney Awards £14 Million Contract for 28.8 MW Quanterness Wind Farm
Orkney Islands Council has awarded local contractor Heddle Construction a £14 million balance-of-plant contract for the 28.8 MW Quanterness community wind farm near Kirkwall, Scotland. The project will feature six Nordex turbines, each standing 149.1 metres high. Heddle will complete final design, civil engineering and electrical works before turbine installation. Quanterness has been under development since 2019, while Nordex was selected as turbine supplier in 2025. The project is backed by a National Wealth Fund loan covering project costs. Electricity will be exported through Orkney’s new interconnector, generating long-term revenue for the council. Heddle employs more than 20 people locally and has operated in Orkney for over 50 years.
Kuwait Fund Provides $9.72 Million Loan for 11 MWp El Salvador Solar Plant The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development has agreed to provide KWD 3 million, equivalent to about $9.72 million or €8.34 million, for construction of an 11 MWp solar photovoltaic plant in El Salvador. The sovereign financing supports the project in La Libertad and will fund development and construction of new renewable generation connected to the national electricity system. The investment is designed to diversify El Salvador’s generation mix, strengthen energy security and reduce exposure to imported energy costs. At roughly $883,000 of loan financing per MWp, the project demonstrates the role of concessional international funding in enabling smaller emerging-market renewable developments. The latest agreement follows earlier parliamentary approval for the borrowing and moves the solar project closer to implementation.
