Here are some noteworthy cleantech announcements of the day from around the world:

The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) has issued an updated list of models and module manufacturers under the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) order. The new entrants are ITI Limited, Goldi Sun, SunField Energy, SASA Energy, SUNBOND Energy, Cosmic PV Power, Jyotitech Solar, and Suryakamal Energy. There are now 67 module manufacturers with a total of 20 GW of module capacity enlisted under the ALMM. Only the models and manufacturers included in the list are eligible to participate in government projects.

GE Renewable Energy received orders from Continuum Green Energy to supply, install and commission 81 units of its 2.7-132 onshore wind turbines for wind power projects across Tamil Nadu and Madhya Pradesh. The wind projects have a combined capacity of 218.7 MW and power various industries and commercial establishments in the two states. Last year, Continuum and GE signed an agreement to supply turbines for Continuum’s 148.5 MW Morjar, Bhuj, and 99.9 MW Rajkot wind farms in Gujarat. GE’s Technology Center in Bengaluru undertook the product design for GE’s 2.7-132 onshore wind turbines. The blades were manufactured in GE’s Vadodara plants and assembled at GE’s multi-modal manufacturing facility in Pune.

NextChem has been assigned a €194 million (~$194 million) grant for developing a waste-to-hydrogen plant as part of the “IPCEI Hy2Use” EU project. The project will set up the Hydrogen Valley in Rome, the first industrial-scale technological hub for developing the national supply chain for the production, transport, storage, and use of hydrogen to decarbonize industrial processes and sustainable mobility. The grant will be disbursed during the construction phases of the plant. The next steps concern the start of the project activities and all the necessary permits to ensure the plant start-up in the first half of 2027 complies with the funding. In the initial phase, the production of 1,500 tons per year of hydrogen and 55,000 tons per year of ethanol is expected. The hydrogen production will grow according to its demand, up to 20,000 tons per year, proportionally reducing the volumes of ethanol. The plant will use 200,000 tons of non-recyclable solid waste per year as raw material, thus optimizing the waste treatment cycle in Rome through a conversion process, significantly reducing total CO2 emissions.

Centrica Business Solutions plans to convert a decommissioned Lincolnshire gas-fired power station into a 50 MW battery storage facility. Working in partnership with GE, the company has started construction on a 50MW /100MWh battery storage project at Brigg, which will provide energy storage for the 43 onshore wind farms across Lincolnshire, maximizing every potential megawatt of green electricity and providing vital resilience for the grid. Brigg battery storage is set to be fully operational in late 2023, with plans to run the site for 25 years. The solution implemented will be a 2-hour duration system with GE’s flexible duration architecture that will allow Centrica to modify the duration of the system in response to future grid needs and market opportunities.

Dubai Investment Fund (DIF) will invest in five renewable energy development projects in Australia and Europe, representing a combined capacity of more than 650 MW. The DIF will support two solar power projects, generating about 300 MW of solar energy in their initial stage. Another is two wind power projects that will be developed in Germany and Spain, which are expected to generate about 125 MW each. The last one is energy storage with a capacity of 100 MW which will be used along with the wind and solar power plants.

International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with International Solar Alliance to check the growth of CO2 emissions in the aviation sector. With France’s support, India has invited nations to facilitate infrastructure for the implementation of solar projects. The alliance has committed one trillion dollars as an investment and is committed to making the costs of solar power more affordable for remote and inaccessible communities. The parties will work towards providing information,  advocacy, capacity building, and demonstration of renewable projects. It will also enable the solarization of the aviation sector.