Renewables roundup: Austria fuel cells to Philippines solar

Green hydrogen producer Lhyfe has announced a cooperation with BMW Group to supply green hydrogen to the Steyr site in Austria.

The BMW Group site in Steyr, Austria, is getting ready to mass produce fuel cell systems for the new BMW X5 model. BMW Group’s third-generation hydrogen propulsion system will be produced there from 2028.

The green hydrogen supplied by Lhyfe will be used for series development, industrialisation, testing and validation activities at the Steyr site.

The development of these technologies by major industrial players such as BMW Group is a sign that this sector is gradually structuring in Europe, says Lhyfe in a statement.

As a producer and supplier of green hydrogen in Europe since 2021, Lhyfe has one of the largest bulk hydrogen transportation fleets in the European Union.

Its deliveries to BMW Group will be its first in Austria.

TotalEnergies starts solar project in Philippines

TotalEnergies, together with its partner Nextnorth, have reached financial close and started the construction of a 440 MWp solar power plant in the City of Ilagan, Philippines.

The project, which will be operational by the end of 2027, will produce 13.5 TWh over 20 years.

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More than 50% of the project's electricity will be sold under long-term offtake agreements with two Retail Electricity Suppliers, AdventEnergy and PrimeRES, supplying commercial and industrial users seeking to decarbonise their operations. The remaining production will be sold to the national grid

Miguel Mapa, President and CEO, Nextnorth, commented in a statement: “Energy security has never been more relevant for the Philippines than it is today. With rising demand and continued exposure to imported fuels, the country needs domestic, scalable, and bankable renewable capacity.”

Qualitas Energy wins German wind permits 

Investment firm and renewables developer Qualitas Energy has announced that it has secured permits for two wind energy projects located in Rhineland-Palatinate and Lower Saxony, Germany.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the permit covers the construction of three wind turbines, each with a capacity of 6.8MW, resulting in a total installed capacity of 20.4MW.

Also, Qualitas Energy is advancing a repowering project in Lower Saxony, where five existing turbines will be replaced by seven modern and higher-capacity units. This upgrade will increase the site’s total installed capacity to 39MW.

These latest permits further strengthen Qualitas Energy’s position in the German market and will see the company’s late-stage pipeline exceed 3GW.