[SMM PV Flash] Italian Researchers Propose PV, Battery and Steam Heat Pump Integration for Industrial Heat

Bangladesh has approved a large grid-connected solar project paired with an eight-hour battery energy storage system, doubling the storage duration from an earlier proposal. The project will be developed near the Rampal coal-fired power plant, with part of the land originally planned for the plant’s second expansion phase to be repurposed for solar development. The long-duration battery system will allow daytime solar generation to be shifted to non-solar hours, helping support power supply and renewable energy integration. The project reflects Bangladesh’s growing focus on combining solar generation with longer-duration storage in future power infrastructure planning.

Australian renewable-energy company LGI has agreed to acquire two operating solar plants in Queensland for AU$22 million, representing 54 MWp of installed capacity and 42 MW of grid export capacity, funded through cash and an existing debt facility. The portfolio comprises the 19.9 MWp/14.7 MW export Chinchilla plant and the 34.5 MWp/27.3 MW export Brigalow plant, commissioned in 2019 and 2021 respectively, with both assets currently selling entirely into the spot market. The purchase price equates to around AU$0.5 million per MW of export capacity, below the cost of developing comparable assets, while LGI estimates annual EBITDA of AU$2.1 million to AU$4 million at current power prices. Preliminary studies are underway to add storage at both sites and use generation above export capacity for battery charging, while LGI has increased its medium-term portfolio target from 80 MW to more than 120 MW.

Eku Energy has signed community benefit agreements with local councils for the Byellee and Belah battery projects in Queensland, totaling 700 MW/2,760 MWh. The 300 MW/1,160 MWh Byellee project and 400 MW/1,600 MWh Belah project will proceed toward state development applications, with operations targeted for 2029. Separately, Valo has been selected to supply the 400 MW/1,600 MWh Teebar BESS for Atmos Renewables, including storage hardware, energy-management software and long-term services; the project has reached financial close, is supported by Australia’s Capacity Investment Scheme and is scheduled for late-2028 operation. The developments show how four-hour storage projects in Australia are combining government-backed revenue support, community benefit structures and long-term performance guarantees to reduce development and operating risk.