The latest renewable energy news includes announcements on HEXA Energy, Flatiron Energy, REV Renewables, Oyabe Battery Energy Storage Facility, and others.
HEXA Energy Advances 50 MW Battery Storage Project in Japan for May 2028 Operation
Tokyo-based HEXA Energy Services has announced development details for its 50 MWac Oyabe Battery Energy Storage Facility in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. The project is located in the Ishinada area of Oyabe City and is scheduled to enter commercial operation in May 2028. Shirokuma Power is responsible for balance-of-plant engineering and construction. The facility secured support through Japan’s Long-Term Decarbonization Power Source Auction programme. A groundbreaking ceremony took place in September 2026, followed by a formal project announcement on October 8. HEXA, owned by infrastructure investor I Squared Capital, has secured 13 projects through Japan’s fiscal 2023 and 2025 decarbonisation auctions. The battery’s energy-storage duration and investment value were not disclosed.
Maryland Awards 440 MW of Four-Hour Battery Storage Capacity Credits
The US state of Maryland has conditionally awarded energy storage capacity credits to two battery projects representing 440 MW of combined capacity. The selected developments are Flatiron Energy’s 400 MW Chalk Point Battery Storage Project in Prince George’s County and REV Renewables’ 40 MW Jade Meadow III project in Garrett County. Both facilities will provide four hours of storage, equivalent to 1,760 MWh of combined energy capacity. The awards carry 15-year terms. Maryland originally targeted 800 MW in the first procurement round under its Next Generation Energy Act. The regulator estimates that the selected projects will add approximately 6.98 cents monthly to a typical residential customer’s bill. Final contract prices were not disclosed.
Kerala and NTPC Advance Plans for 500 MW/2,000 MWh Battery Storage at Kayamkulam
India’s Kerala government and NTPC have reached an agreement in principle to develop a 500 MW/2,000 MWh battery energy storage system at Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district. Kerala State Electricity Board, NTPC and NTPC Green Energy are expected to formalise the arrangement through a memorandum of understanding. The proposed four-hour battery would support renewable-energy integration and peak-period electricity supply. The state is also progressing two 80 MWh battery projects at Pothencode and Sreekandapuram, targeting commissioning by March 2027. Discussions include accelerating NTPC’s proposed 27 MW solar project at Kayamkulam. The larger battery remains at the planning stage; investment value, financing arrangements and construction dates have not been finalised.
