Power Digest July 2025: Innovations in Renewable Energy and Storage Solutions

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POWER Digest [July 2025]

By Darrell Proctor
Tuesday, July 1st, 2025

**GE Vernova to Power Spanish Onshore Wind Project**
GE Vernova’s Wind segment has announced an agreement to supply Forestalia with eight of its 6.1-MW wind turbines for a 49-MW wind project located in Aragón, Spain. This agreement is part of a framework established in December 2023 aimed at supporting regional project development. Spain aims to install 62 GW of wind capacity by 2030 as part of its strategy to generate over 80% of its electricity from renewable sources by the decade’s end. Forestalia focuses on promoting and developing projects in wind energy, photovoltaics, biomass energy generation, and pellet production, boasting a portfolio with over 2 GW of generation capacity primarily in rural areas. The company has completed energy projects for clients including Repsol, Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, Lightsource BP, and Bruc Management, totaling more than 4 GW.

**Iraq Launches Its First Fully Solar-Powered Village**
In May, the Rwanga Foundation announced the completion and commissioning of the Kulak Solar Village, marking Iraq’s first fully off-grid, solar-powered community. This innovative project integrates renewable energy with sustainable agriculture. Idris Nechirvan Barzani, founder and president of the Rwanga Foundation, stated, “This project proves that we can protect our environment, empower our people, and build a future rooted in resilience, dignity, and hope. Our vision is to see this model grow across Iraq—one village at a time—until sustainability becomes the standard, not the exception.” The Kulak Solar Village will support solar-powered irrigation systems and plans for community training programs in regenerative agriculture. Officials aim to expand this model throughout Kurdistan and central Iraq by 2030, in partnership with regional authorities and international organizations, forming the foundation of Rwanga’s broader Green Kurdistan campaign.

**Caterpillar and Alectra Energy Solutions Deploy Gensets for Canadian Manufacturing**
Caterpillar is expanding its collaboration with Alectra Energy Solutions to assist Linamar Corp., a diversified advanced manufacturing company, in reducing energy costs during peak grid demand through distributed energy resources (DERs). Under a 15-year power purchase agreement, Alectra has recently deployed 12 Cat G3500 series natural-gas generator sets for behind-the-meter power production at Linamar’s manufacturing facilities in Guelph and Windsor, Ontario. The project received construction financing from Cat Financial, while local dealer Toromont Cat handled engineering, procurement, and construction. The turnkey power systems are managed via Caterpillar’s distributed energy resource management system software to further decrease Linamar’s energy costs during peak demand.

**BW ESS and Nordea Bank Secure $65 Million Financing for Battery Storage in Nordic Countries**
In late April, BW ESS announced it has secured a $65 million loan agreement with Nordea Bank for its 211-MW/211-MWh battery storage portfolio in Sweden, which is jointly owned with Ingrid Capacity. This agreement is noted as the largest battery energy storage system (BESS) financing contract to date in the Nordics. BW ESS, part of BW Group, has maintained a partnership with Nordea Bank for over 20 years. The portfolio consists of 14 large-scale BESS facilities, the largest in the region, inaugurated in October of last year.

**Return Begins Construction of Large Dutch BESS Project**
A 100-MW/200-MWh BESS in Waddinxveen, capable of supplying 50% of the power needed by The Hague in the Netherlands, is set to commence operations in mid-2026. The Antares installation, supported by Return, aims to stabilize the Dutch power grid and enable the integration of more renewable energy sources. ING, a major energy financing group, is providing the majority of the $96 million project funding, supplemented by additional financing from Meewind and Nationaal Groenfonds. Technical execution partners include Alfen and SPIE Nederland, with Vattenfall as one of several capacity off-takers. Antares is the second-largest energy storage project in the Netherlands, following the recently announced Mufasa project in Vlissingen.

**Cygni Opens 4.8-GWh BESS Gigafactory in India**
Cygni Energy, the largest independent energy storage solutions provider in India, has announced the opening of its Phase I, fully operational, and automated BESS gigafactory in E-Mobility Valley, located within the Electronics Manufacturing Clusters in Maheshwaram, Hyderabad. This facility is India’s first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-qualified site and features an Advanced Engineering Lab and Battery Management System Lab. Spanning five acres, the factory is designed to produce 4.8 GWh of high-capacity battery packs for electric vehicles and energy storage systems. Venkat Rajaraman, CEO of Cygni, stated, “This gigafactory positions us to lead in the energy storage sector, delivering high-quality, safe battery packs across multiple applications.” The company plans to expand the factory’s capacity to 10.8 GWh in Phase II.

**Sarens Installs 83 Wind Turbines for Canadian Wind Farm**
Sarens is currently installing 83 wind turbines for the Buffalo Plains Wind Farm project near Lomond, Alberta, Canada. Once operational, the wind farm will boast a generation capacity of 494 MW. Sarens, a global provider of crane rental, heavy lifting, and engineered transport services, was commissioned by Borea Construction to offload and install the Siemens Gamesa–manufactured turbines. The project includes 45 turbines of the SG 6.0-170 model, each with a nominal capacity of 6.6 MW, and 38 turbines of the 5.0-145 model, each with a capacity of 5.2 MW. Sarens has a rich history of supporting wind energy projects across Canada, including the Golden South Wind Project in Assiniboia and the Blue Hill Project in Saskatchewan.

—Darrell Proctor is a senior editor for POWER.
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