Today’s renewable energy news includes announcements from Waltrop battery energy, Envision AESC, Enfinity, PowerBank, CNPC, among others.
Germany’s 900 MW Waltrop BESS Moves into Construction
Germany’s 900-MW Waltrop battery energy storage system (BESS) has advanced into its next construction phase after shareholders approved work on key infrastructure, including a substation. Located in North Rhine-Westphalia, the facility will provide at least 1,800 MWh of storage capacity. The consortium comprises Luxcara, BKW and T-BESS 1, with respective project shares of 520 MW, 300 MW and 80 MW. Final permits for the substation and battery systems were secured in May 2026, while key equipment has already been ordered. Main construction is scheduled to start in autumn 2026, with commissioning targeted for 2028. Future expansion phases could increase the Waltrop BESS project’s total capacity to as much as 1.5 GW.
Envision AESC Starts Production at 40 GWh Battery Factory
Envision AESC has started operations at its 40-GWh lithium battery project in Yichang, China’s Hubei province, delivering its first mass-produced 790-Ah battery cells to an overseas customer. The project broke ground in October 2025 and reached production in just over 9 months. Phase I forms part of what the company calls the world’s first 100-GWh-level full-industry-chain storage base. Each new cell offers 2.5 kWh of rated capacity, over 440 Wh/L volumetric energy density, more than 12,000 cycles, over 96% DC energy conversion efficiency and a 30-year lifespan. The cells have secured market-entry approvals in over 20 markets. Envision AESC operates 14 production bases worldwide.
PowerBank Announces 3.2 MW Solar Project in New York
PowerBank Corporation has signed a lease agreement for the 3.2-MW DC Scofield ground-mounted solar project in Broome County, New York. The development will advance through permitting and interconnection before construction and is planned to operate as a community solar project. Once operational, the facility will feed renewable electricity into the local grid, allowing eligible subscribers to benefit from solar power without installing panels on their properties. The project expands PowerBank’s renewable energy development pipeline in New York and supports growing demand for distributed clean energy generation. By developing the 3.2-MW DC facility, PowerBank aims to strengthen its presence in the US community solar market while contributing to New York’s broader renewable energy and decarbonisation goals.
CNPC Launches China’s First Full-Chain Low-Carbon Ethylene Project
China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) has commissioned the Tarim 1.2-MTA Phase II Ethylene Project and supporting green facility in Korla, Xinjiang, marking China’s first full-chain green, low-carbon ethylene project. The complex is expected to cut carbon emissions by 1.37 million metric tons annually, equivalent to the sequestration capacity of 5.48 million mu, or about 365,333 hectares, of forest. Around 1 billion kWh of renewable electricity will be supplied annually. Of 11 major production units, 10 use domestic technologies, including 9 from CNPC, with 5 deployed industrially for the first time. The project has achieved a 99 percent localisation rate and will support downstream industrial clusters valued at 100 billion yuan.
FAHEEMA P
