During the period from January 20th to 26th, 2026, the following international news occurred:
1. Pakistan’s installed PV capacity estimated above 27 GW
According to estimates from the think tank Renewables First, Pakistan's cumulative installed PV capacity has reached 27-33 GW. As of November 2025, the country has imported 51.5 GW of PV modules from China, with 18 GW imported in the previous fiscal year. Capacity growth primarily comes from the residential and commercial & industrial distributed markets, while utility-scale project progress has been slow. Official data shows net metering capacity at 6.8 GW (as of September 2025). In the future, the adoption of energy storage systems and adjustments to net metering policies may influence market development.
2. GoodEnough Energy starts production at 7 GWh BESS factory in India
Indian energy storage company GoodEnough Energy has commissioned the country's largest battery energy storage system (BESS) gigafactory in Noida, with an initial capacity of 7 GWh and an investment exceeding 4.5 billion rupees. The company plans to increase capacity to over 25 GWh within the next three years to support India's 2030 target of 500 GW non-fossil fuel-based capacity and meet the energy storage needs for grid stability. The factory has begun deploying BESS solutions across multiple sectors in India.
3. Masdar reaches financial close on 300 MW Uzbek solar project
Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company (Masdar) announced it has achieved financial close for its 300 MW solar and 75 MWh storage project in Uzbekistan. Located in the Kashkadarya region, the project involves an investment of over $225 million, with major funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development ($195.5 million) and the Asian Development Bank ($30 million). The project is expected to generate 634 GWh of electricity annually and is part of Masdar's plan to deploy 2 GW of renewable energy in Uzbekistan.
4. Austria’s Andritz to supply South Korean 500 MW pumped storage power plant
Austria's Andritz Group has signed an agreement with South Korea's Doosan Energy to supply key equipment including pump turbine units for the Yeongdong Pumped Storage Power Plant in South Korea. With a capacity of 500 MW and located in Chungcheong-do, this is the first large-scale pumped storage project initiated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power Company since 2011, with operation planned for 2030. The project aims to enhance grid stability to support renewable energy integration. South Korea plans to add 5.7 GW of pumped storage capacity by 2037.
5. Czechia deploys 696 MW of solar in 2025
Czechia added 696 MW of new solar capacity in 2025, bringing the cumulative total to 5.5 GW. Affected by subsidy suspensions and lower electricity prices, the residential market declined sharply, while the commercial and industrial market remained dominant, adding 370 MW. The energy storage market saw significant growth, adding 546 MWh. Industry associations are calling on the new government to stabilize subsidy policies and promote tenders for large-scale projects to foster market recovery.
6. Pexapark records 24 European PPAs for 1.4 GW in December
Data from Swiss analytics firm Pexapark shows that 24 Power Purchase Agreements were signed across Europe in December 2025, covering approximately 1.4 GW of renewable energy capacity. The largest agreement of the month was for a 332 MW wind project signed in Poland between Energa and EDP Renewables. Last year, the number and total capacity of European PPAs decreased by approximately 19% and 13% year-on-year respectively. The December PPA benchmark average price was €45.10 per MWh, a slight decrease of 0.7% month-on-month. Prices in the UK, France, and Italy showed some recovery.
7. Hungary adds 1.1 GW of solar in 2025
Hungary added 1.1 GW of new solar capacity in 2025, maintaining its gigawatt-scale market for the third consecutive year, with cumulative capacity reaching 8,373 MW. Large-scale ground-mounted plants contributed 755 MW, but due to no new grid connection permits being issued in the past three years, this segment is expected to stagnate in 2026. Residential installations continued to decline due to electricity price regulations, while the commercial and industrial market is expected to grow. In June 2025, solar power once met Hungary's national electricity demand for a full 24-hour period.
8. Italy installs 6.4 GW of PV in 2025
Italy installed 6.4 GW of new PV capacity in 2025, bringing cumulative installed capacity to 43.5 GW. PV now accounts for 52% of the country's total renewable energy capacity, with approximately 2.09 million PV systems in operation. Although the new additions were slightly below the 6.8 GW added in 2024, the industry estimates actual installations may have exceeded 7 GW and is optimistic about continued growth in 2026-2027 due to renewable energy auctions. During the same period, 146,000 new energy storage systems paired with renewables were added, with total power reaching 1 GW and energy capacity reaching 1.83 GWh.
9. Spanish electricity grid reaches 85.7% saturation after 2.8 GW loss
Spain's electricity grid is facing increasing capacity pressure. A recent study shows that as of December 1, 2025, the grid's available capacity decreased by nearly 2.8 GW within two months, reaching an overall saturation rate of 85.7% for substations. A total of 5,235 substations had no remaining capacity. Saturation was most severe in the northern and central regions, with the Basque Country reaching 99.8%. Only six provinces still retain over 50% available capacity. Growth in electricity demand has outpaced grid upgrades, causing technical bottlenecks for new grid connection applications.
10. Solar generates record 13% of EU electricity in 2025
According to an Ember report, solar power generated 13% of the EU's total electricity in 2025, a record high, surpassing coal and hydropower for the first time. EU solar generation reached 369 TWh, a year-on-year increase of 20%, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth exceeding 20%. Combined, wind and solar accounted for 30% of generation, exceeding fossil fuels (29%) for the first time. The EU added 65.1 GW of new solar capacity in 2025, with countries like Hungary and Greece seeing solar's share of generation exceed 20%. The report emphasized that energy storage and grid upgrades are crucial for the energy transition.
11. US court approves Amazon acquisition of 1.2 GW Oregon solar project
A US bankruptcy court approved Amazon Energy's acquisition of Pine Gate Renewables' Sunstone solar and storage project in Oregon for $83 million. The project includes 1.2 GW of solar PV and 1.2 GW of battery storage, which, upon completion, will provide 7,200 MWh of storage capacity. By acquiring the project directly rather than through a Power Purchase Agreement, Amazon aims to secure controlled clean power for its data centers in the Pacific Northwest. The project is expected to start construction in 2026.
12. Solar to surge 49% as EIA forecasts 70 GW of new capacity by 2027
The US Energy Information Administration forecasts that approximately 70 GW of new utility-scale solar capacity will be added in the US by 2027, increasing operational capacity by 49% compared to the end of 2025. Solar generation is projected to rise from 290 billion kWh in 2025 to 424 billion kWh in 2027. Solar generation in Texas (ERCOT region) is expected to double, with paired storage capacity forecast to grow from 15 GW to 37 GW. Growth is primarily driven by data center demand, with wind and solar's combined share of generation expected to rise to 21% by that time.
13. Guyana plans three utility-scale solar parks
The Guyanese government announced it will build three utility-scale solar power plants with a total capacity of 15 MW and at least 22 MWh of storage in the country's Region 10. The total investment is $22.6 million. The projects will be constructed by a consortium of China Sumec Complete Equipment & Engineering Co., Ltd. and XJ Group Corporation, with grid connection expected in the first quarter of 2027. This is part of the country's "Utility-Scale Solar PV Programme" aiming to deploy 33 MW of solar with paired storage across four regions to reduce reliance on fossil fuels.
14. Australia approves Fortescue 644 MW Turner River solar farm
Australian mining and renewable energy company Fortescue has received federal government approval to build the 644 MW Turner River Solar Farm in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Covering approximately 1,400 hectares, upon completion it will become Western Australia's largest and the nation's second-largest PV power station. It aims to provide clean power for Fortescue's iron ore operations, supporting its 2030 net-zero operational emissions target. The project will pay at least A$3.39 million for the protection of local species habitats.
15. Australia set for massive utility-scale solar and wind investment in 2026
According to BloombergNEF forecasts, utility-scale solar and wind investment in Australia will reach A$5.1 billion in 2026, with wind accounting for approximately 95% of that. The investment volume is expected to be on par with 2025. Although policies like the Capacity Investment Scheme have supported 15.8 GW of projects, only 3.5 GW have secured financing. Slow approvals, grid constraints, and social license issues hinder progress. Meanwhile, due to market saturation leading to frequent negative pricing for solar, its new capacity additions are expected to decline by 21%.
16. Africa’s installed PV capacity estimated above 63 GW
A report from the Africa Solar Industry Association shows Africa added at least 2.4 GW of new PV capacity in 2025. Based on Chinese PV module export data (cumulative imports of 58.1 GW since 2017), the association estimates Africa's actual cumulative installed capacity could be as high as 63.9 GW, making it the world's fastest-growing solar market in 2025 (with a compound annual growth rate of 17%). Currently, the database lists 23.4 GW of operational projects, with the unrecorded portion primarily from commercial, industrial, and residential distributed projects.
17. Global BESS demand jumps 51% in 2025 as installations top 300 GWh
According to data from Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, global battery energy storage system installations exceeded 315 GWh in 2025, a year-on-year increase of nearly 50%. China and the US were the largest markets, with China's installations far ahead. New installations are expected to exceed 450 GWh in 2026. Affected by rising lithium prices, LFP storage cell prices have recently increased by about 10%, but this has not yet fully translated into system price increases. BESS has become the fastest-growing application segment for lithium batteries.