China begins building first GW-scale residential VPP
China is building its first gigawatt-scale residential virtual power plant (VPP) in Jiangsu province. The project will connect millions of high-power household appliances to a cloud-based energy pool to improve grid stability and boost renewable energy use.
India eyes self-reliance in battery cells with lithium recycling push
India could achieve self-reliance in battery cell manufacturing by domestically recycling lithium and reusing it in batteries, an Indian government official claimed this week at a battery manufacturing conference in in New Delhi.
Africa adds 2.5 GW of solar in 2024
The African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) says utility-scale projects dominated Africa’s new solar additions in 2024, with storage installations surging tenfold.
Envirostream Australia signs battery recycling deal with Hithium Energy
Envirostream Australia, a subsidiary of Livium, has signed an exclusive recycling agreement with Hithium Energy to recycle lithium-ion batteries supplied by Hithium to Lightsource bp’s Woolooga solar farm in Queensland, Australia.
China’s REPT Battero to build battery factory in Indonesia
China’s REPT Battero has revealed plans to build a lithium-ion battery plant in Indonesia, targeting 8 GWh of annual production capacity in the first phase.
Greece launches C&I battery storage subsidy program
The Greek Ministry of Environment and Energy’s Storage Systems in Businesses program opened this week for the submission of applications, with a budget of EUR 153.7 million ($157.7 million).
Where will lithium-ion battery prices go in 2025?
After tumbling to record low in 2024 on the back of lower metal costs and increased scale, lithium-ion battery prices are expected to enter a period of stabilization.
Japan keeps lead in solid-state battery development
While China, South Korea, Europe, and the United States are also engaged in active development of all solid-state batteries, Japan is leading the charge, offering generous subsidies to technology proponents.
Sierra Leone adopts financing model for private minigrid developers
Sierra Leone’s government is working with the European Union to launch a results-based financing mechanism, offering grants to private developers to build, own, and operate minigrids across the country.
Stationary storage installations surge to 170 GWh in 2024
With expanding market opportunities and declining costs, stationary battery energy storage installations are surging. Battery makers are awake to the opportunity, says BloombergNEF, as stationary batteries account for an increasing amount of deployed capacity.
