[Solar: Latvia’s solar capacity rises to 1.52GW]

The Philippine government is preparing a new procurement round under its Green Energy Auction program targeting agrisolar and aquasolar projects. The Department of Energy and Department of Agriculture have reviewed a draft MoU for the auction, which is scheduled as GEA-9, with official terms of reference targeted for publication in Q4 2026. The DOE said agrisolar and aquasolar installations can optimize abandoned, underdeveloped and underutilized land and water resources while supporting food security and rural livelihoods. The Philippines previously announced plans to hold GEA-6 to GEA-9 over the next two years as part of a wider target to auction 25GW of renewables by 2035.

South Korea will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on Aug. 7 for the 400MW Haenam solar complex, the country’s largest solar project to date. Located in southern South Korea, the project will be built on around 4.79 million square meters of idle land, including reclaimed saline land, and is expected to be completed in 2028. Once operational, it will generate about 529GWh of electricity annually, equivalent to the consumption of around 130,000 Korean households, and supply companies and industrial complexes with 100% renewable energy targets. The project will use domestically produced modules, cells and inverters, with Hanwha QCells selected to supply cells and modules. It will also include a resident participation and profit-sharing mechanism, returning around KRW 150 billion in generation profits to the local community over the project period.

Tajikistan is set to launch solar PV auctions for a combined 400MW of capacity, with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development supporting the government in designing and implementing competitive tenders. According to the EBRD, Tajikistan aims to add 1.5GW-3GW of wind and solar generation capacity by 2030, in line with its National Development Strategy, climate goals and energy independence objectives. At the request of the Ministry of Energy and Water Resources, the EBRD will help review and revise the legal framework, advise on establishing a market operator or single-buyer entity, and design a competitive bidding process for solar projects. If Phase I findings are agreed, Phase II will implement the reforms and hold auctions for two planned 200MW solar projects.