UK-based Aura Power and Verdant Energy have merged to form a combined solar and battery storage platform operating under the Aura Power brand, backed by CVC DIF. The merged company will have around 1GW of operating and under-construction solar and storage assets in the UK, along with a 10GW development pipeline. Aura Power founder and CEO Simon Coulson will continue to lead the company and retain a minority stake. The transaction also includes financing from Eiffel Investment Group to support the merger, refinance existing facilities and fund future growth.

SolarAfrica has partnered with MPower, the energy platform of the Moolman Group, and Fledge Capital to develop the Highveld Hybrid Energy project near eMalahleni in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The project will combine a 184MW utility-scale solar PV plant with a 300MWh battery storage system and is expected to begin supplying wheeled renewable electricity from 2029. It aims to provide businesses with greater energy security, long-term price certainty and access to clean electricity.

On August 5th, The African Development Bank Group has approved a €100 million loan to Gotion Power Morocco to finance an integrated cathode-to-cell lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery gigafactory in the Rabat-Salé Kénitra Free Trade Zone. AfDB plans to mobilize up to an additional €141 million from financial partners, acting as Mandated Lead Arranger under the New African Financial Architecture for Development (NAFAD). The project is led by Gotion High-Tech, a Hefei-headquartered, Shenzhen-listed battery manufacturer, and will mark the first integrated battery manufacturing plant in Africa and the MENA region. Phase 1 targets 10 GWh of battery cell and pack production for EVs, with capacity plans to scale up to 100 GWh. The facility is expected to create over 600 direct jobs and reach a 70% local industrial integration rate. AfDB's Kevin Kariuki called battery storage the missing link in Africa's clean energy transition, noting the renewable-powered facility will support large-scale solar and wind integration while building green industrial jobs. AfDB's Morocco country manager Achraf Tarsim said the gigafactory will strengthen Morocco's industrial competitiveness and support local beneficiation of critical minerals used in the energy transition. SMM View: The project signals growing downstream investment in Africa's battery value chain, moving beyond raw mineral extraction toward integrated cathode-to-cell manufacturing. As Morocco positions itself as a mobility and green-tech hub, this development adds to a broader continental trend of localizing value-add stages of the lithium supply chain a shift that could reshape where and how African critical minerals are processed in the years ahead

Colombia’s Ministry of Mines and Energy awarded 725MW of new solar park capacity on the second day of the country’s Clean Energy Procurement Auction. The electricity generated will supply the equivalent consumption of more than 800,000 Colombian households through long-term supply contracts. On the first day, the ministry awarded 270MW of solar tied to 100MW of battery storage at a closing price of COP 315.87/kWh. Awards across both days represent about 3% of Colombia’s regulated demand, with 15-year contracts and supply obligations scheduled to start in 2030. Details on the price, contracted daily energy, locations and companies for the second-day 725MW allocation have not yet been released.

TCL Solar, a unit of TCL Technology, has been selected to supply PV modules for the Smoky Creek and Guthrie’s Gap solar and battery projects in Central Queensland, Australia. Developed by Edify Energy, the adjacent projects will together include 600MW of solar generation, equal to 720MWp of modules, and 600MW/2,400MWh of DC-coupled battery storage. TCL said the projects will become the world’s largest solar project to use back-contact module technology, with module efficiencies of up to 24.2%, backed by a 30-year performance warranty and 15-year product warranty. Module installation is expected to begin early next year, with delivery and operations targeted for 2028. Once operational, the projects are expected to generate nearly 1.6TWh annually and support a long-term power supply agreement with Rio Tinto.

Global alternative investment manager Brookfield has launched Lumara Energy, a renewable energy platform in India that plans to invest about USD 600 million to accelerate solar, wind and battery storage project development. The platform will start with an initial portfolio of more than 6GW and is designed to address key bottlenecks in India’s renewable market, including PPA signing delays, long grid connection queues and land acquisition timelines. Brookfield said Lumara will advance projects with secured land and grid interconnection before PPAs are finalized, while also providing credit solutions to developers.