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

JSW Neo Energy entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Government of Maharashtra to set up a 960 MW hydro-pumped storage project (PSP). JSW Neo Energy has been securing key resources for hydro PSPs in various resource-rich states for projects with a targeted capacity totaling up to 10 GW. The company has secured resources for ~6 GW hydro PSP. JSW Energy’s platform capacity stands at ~9.1 GW, including 1.75 GW of renewable assets under acquisition from Mytrah and about 2.5 GW of under-construction wind and hydro projects, which are likely to be commissioned in phases over the next 12-24 months.

Netherlands-based green hydrogen company Lhyfe will develop a 200 MW hydrogen production facility in the northeastern region of the Netherlands. The facility is expected to have access to offshore wind turbines to supply electricity for the hydrogen production process and the potential for hydrogen storage in an old salt cavern. Lhyfe is working on a rapid ramp-up of the green and renewable hydrogen market in many European countries. The company targets a total installed capacity of 3 GW by 2030. The company recently inaugurated an offshore renewable green hydrogen production pilot in Saint-Nazaire, France.

DIF Capital Partners will invest an undisclosed amount in France-based renewable power producer Qair through DIF Infrastructure VII. DIF Infrastructure VII is a target core and build-to-core infrastructure equity investment with long-term contracted or regulated income streams, including public-private partnerships, concessions, utilities, and energy transition projects. Qair is an independent power producer that develops, owns, and operates multi-technology renewable energy projects. The platform is focused on a wide range of technologies, including wind, solar, energy from waste, battery storage, hydrogen production, and tidal energy. The company benefits from strong development capabilities and foresees adding around 4 GW of renewable projects over the next five years.

Rio Tinto-controlled titanium producer, Richards Bay Minerals, will be supplied with renewable solar power through an agreement with international energy company Voltalia and local Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) partners for its operation in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The 20-year contract will supply around 300 GWh of renewable energy annually via a wheeling arrangement to RBM’s smelting and processing facilities in KwaZulu-Natal. Voltalia will begin construction of the Bolobedu Solar renewable energy project in 2023 at a site in the province of Limpopo. It is likely to begin generating in 2024. The renewable power supply is expected to cut RBM’s annual greenhouse gas emissions by at least 10%.

Fluence Energy and TransnetBW will deploy a 250 MW battery-based energy storage-as-transmission project. The project will improve energy security and significantly support Germany’s energy transition pathway by increasing the efficiency of the existing grid infrastructure. It is planned for completion in 2025 and will reduce the operating costs of Germany’s transmission system. The Netzbooster project will lower the number of required preventive measures in system operation while also increasing the utilization of the electricity grid, thus reducing the need for traditional network reinforcement and expansion.

Volvo Trucks will deliver fully electric heavy-duty trucks to Amazon in Germany by year’s end. The 20 Volvo FH Electric are expected to drive more than one million road kilometers annually, fuelled with electricity instead of diesel. The electric versions of its most important product range – the heavy-duty Volvo FH, Volvo FM, and Volvo FMX trucks – will play a vital role in reaching Volvo Trucks’ global target that in 2030 50% of all new trucks sold will be battery or fuel cell electric. These heavy-duty electric trucks can operate at a total weight of 44 tons, and the three models represent around two-thirds of the company’s sales. For Amazon, the trucks will replace their diesel counterparts and play a key role in electrification initiatives through its transportation chain.