China Approves 17.44 GW Power Plan for Qaidam Desert Base, Including Solar, Wind, and Energy Storage Projects

Omani manufacturer United Solar Holding has commenced production at its polysilicon facility in the Sohar Freezone, targeting an annual capacity of 100,000 metric tons, which enough to support 40 GW of solar modules. The milestone follows the closure of a massive debt financing package in mid-January totaling over $900 million, split between a $480 million facility led by the International Finance Corporation (IFC) and over $400 million from local commercial banks. The project's largest shareholder, Future Fund Oman, has increased its stake to approximately $260 million.

Italy deployed 6,437 MW of new photovoltaic capacity in 2025, a 5% decrease from the 6.8 GW added in 2024, bringing the country's cumulative total to 43.5 GW. The overall decline was driven by a sharp 24% contraction in the residential sector and a slowdown in commercial installations. However, the utility-scale segment surged by 15%, connecting 3.4 GW of new capacity largely due to a wave of previously issued authorizations. This growth was heavily backloaded, with the final quarter alone accounting for 2.4 GW of the year's total, fueled significantly by projects larger than 10 MW.

The Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) has concluded its auction for 1.2 GW of renewable energy capacity paired with energy storage, designed to supply 4.8 GWh of peak power daily. Adyant Enersol secured the lowest tariff of INR 6.27/kWh for 100 MW. Serentica Renewables (600 MW) and AMPIN Energy (199 MW) followed closely with bids of INR 6.28/kWh, while ACME Solar was awarded the remaining capacity (approximately 301 MW). These projects will be developed on a build-own-operate basis under 25-year Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), requiring developers to co-locate generation and storage systems and connect them to the interstate transmission network.