The latest renewable energy news includes announcements on Hindustan Power, Halenbeck-Rohlsdorf II solar park, US DOE, and others.
US DOE Selects Seven Battery Projects for $500 Million in Critical-Mineral Funding
The U.S. Department of Energy has selected seven projects for a combined $500 million in grants aimed at strengthening domestic battery and critical-mineral supply chains. The funding is intended to expand production, processing and technology capacity required for batteries used in electric vehicles, grid-scale energy storage and other clean-energy applications. Washington is increasingly directing public investment toward reducing reliance on imported critical minerals and creating domestic manufacturing capacity from raw materials through finished battery components. The seven selected developments are expected to mobilize additional private investment alongside federal support. Building a more resilient battery supply chain has become strategically important as U.S. storage deployment accelerates and utilities procure multi-gigawatt portfolios to support renewable generation and rising electricity demand.
Hindustan Power Secures INR 1,135 Crore Debt for 435 MWp Uttar Pradesh Solar Project
Hindustan Power has achieved financial closure for its 435 MWp / 300 MWac solar project in Lalitpur district, Uttar Pradesh, after the Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency sanctioned INR 1,135 crore in project debt. Construction is already underway, and the plant will supply renewable electricity to Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited under a long-term PPA. Hindustan Power won the project through a competitive tender in 2025. The development is among the larger solar projects currently under construction in Uttar Pradesh and will support the state’s increasing renewable-power requirements. The IREDA financing demonstrates continued availability of institutional debt for large Indian photovoltaic assets as developers scale projects into several-hundred-megawatt portfolios.
Germany Commissions 114 MWp Solar Park to Supply Shell and Finanz Informatik
The 114 MWp Halenbeck-Rohlsdorf II solar park in Brandenburg has entered commercial operation and is expected to generate up to 120,000 MWh annually, enough electricity for roughly 48,000 households. Renewable power is being supplied under long-term PPAs to Shell Energy Europe, Finanz Informatik and Finanz Informatik Technologie Service. Shell has a 10-year agreement covering about 75 percent of output from the broader Halenbeck-Rohlsdorf solar complex. Part of the renewable electricity will support Shell’s planned 100 MW REFHYNE II electrolyser from 2027. The PV facility is expected to avoid around 50,000 tonnes of CO2 annually, illustrating growing links between German utility-scale solar, corporate PPAs, digital infrastructure and renewable hydrogen production.
