The Duck Curve#germany
Germany's SPRIND opens fusion milestone program with up to €500M to 2029
Germany's Federal Agency for Breakthrough Innovation (SPRIND) launched a milestone-based fusion program for the research ministry BMFTR on October 7, 2026, with up to €500 million through 2029 and public funding meant to rise to as much as €2.5 billion. Start-ups and young companies with a place of business in Germany can apply until January 13, 2027; the final milestone is a Technical Design Report for a demonstration plant by 2037, and Phase 1 money is expected to come mainly as SPRIND equity.
BMW opens Irlbach-Straßkirchen plant to assemble Neue Klasse batteries
BMW Group opened its around €1 billion Irlbach-Straßkirchen plant in Bavaria on October 1, 2026, starting two-shift series production of sixth-generation high-voltage batteries for the new BMW i3 built in Munich. The plant assembles packs from cells BMW says come from leading cell manufacturers, which the release does not name; at full operation it expects around 1,600 employees and several hundred batteries a day on two lines, with no GWh capacity given.
MiSpeL lets German home batteries mix grid power, on direct-marketing terms
Germany's Bundesnetzagentur adopted the MiSpeL determination on October 1, 2026, letting batteries and bidirectional EV charge points store grid power alongside solar while keeping the EEG market premium on the solar share and levy relief on stored grid power. The premium requires direct marketing, the flat-rate option for arrays up to 30 kWp awaits EU state-aid approval, and until September 30, 2027 use needs grid and meter operator consent.
Envision launches 8 MW onshore turbine with a 175-meter rotor in Hamburg
Envision Energy said on September 25, 2026 that it launched the Model T EN175/8.0, which it calls an 8 MW-class onshore wind turbine, with 8.0 MW rated capacity and a 175-meter rotor, at WindEnergy Hamburg. The release says the turbine is designed for medium-wind-speed sites, can deliver a 2–12% increase in energy yield over existing models depending on site conditions, targets a sound power level of 107 dB(A), and sits on a Model T platform with more than 4,000 units ordered and around 1,500 installed to date; it names no customer, hub height, price, delivery date or certification status.
Shell completes sale of home battery maker sonnen to family office Tiven
Shell has completed the sale of German home battery and virtual power plant company sonnen to Tiven, a family office headquartered in Malta, confirming the deal in statements to trade outlets between August 24 and 28, 2026; neither company initially made a public announcement. Financial terms were not disclosed.