In 2026, more than 2,152 power plants currently under construction globally are due to come online, according to Power Technology’s parent company GlobalData. Among these, several projects spanning wind, solar, coal, nuclear, hydro and geothermal power signal what is to come for the global energy landscape – representing where capital is flowing and how energy systems are evolving under the dual pressures of decarbonisation and surging electricity demand.
These are Power Technology’s top seven picks for power projects that are expected to be commissioned this year, based on a combination of scale, capacity and broader industry significance.
1. Neom Green Hydrogen Solar PV Park – Saudi Arabia
In Tabuk, Saudi Arabia, the Neom Green Hydrogen Solar PV Park is the largest power plant by total capacity globally due to be commissioned in 2026. The ambitious 4GW project combines on-site renewable power generation, green hydrogen production, hydrogen storage and a dedicated transmission grid into a single ecosystem.
The $8.4bn project is owned and developed by NEOM Green Hydrogen Company (NGHC), a tripartite joint venture between ACWA Power, Air Products and NEOM Company, each with an equal 33.33% stake. The commercial backbone of the project is a 30-year exclusive offtake agreement under which Air Products will purchase all green ammonia produced at the facility.
In January 2026, NGHC reported that the megaproject was 90% complete across all construction sites, and was moving into the final phase of testing and commissioning. The renewable generation assets – comprising approximately 2.2GW of solar photovoltaic and 1.6GW of onshore wind – are on track to be commissioned by mid-2026, while full commercial production of green hydrogen is expected in 2027.
Once complete, the facility will produce 600 tonnes of green hydrogen per day using Air Products’ thyssenkrupp technology and up to 1.2 million tonnes of green ammonia per year.
The NEOM project positions Saudi Arabia as a global leader in low-carbon fuels, diversifying an economy long defined by hydrocarbons.
2. SunZia Wind Project – US
The SunZia Wind Project in New Mexico, US, is set to be the second-largest power plant by total capacity to come online in 2026. At 3.5GW, it will be the largest onshore wind project in US history and the largest wind power development in the Western Hemisphere.
Pattern Energy is developing the project in parallel with the 885km SunZia transmission line, which will deliver power from the wind farm across the western US.
Once operational, the wind farm is expected to generate enough electricity to power three million US households. Combined, the SunZia Wind and Transmission projects represent $11bn in investment, and the economic benefits are estimated at $20.5bn for New Mexico and Arizona.
The project will be equipped with 674 GE Vernova 3.6-154 wind turbines and 242 Vestas V163-4.5MW turbines.
The company has entered into a power purchase agreement with Shell Energy and the Regents of the University of California.
Construction work for the project began in 2023, and while initially scheduled for commissioning by end of 2025, Pattern Energy has revised the target to early 2026.
3. Zhongwei Coal Fired Power Plant Expansion – China
The 2.64GW Zhongwei Coal Fired Power Plant expansion in the autonomous region of Ningxia in northern China is the third-largest power plant by capacity set to be commissioned in 2026.
The project is operated by Guoneng Zhongwei Thermal Power, a subsidiary of state-owned CHN Energy (CEIC), which holds a 76.05% stake in the project. Ningxia State-owned Investment Management holds the remaining 23.95%.
The existing Zhongwei station currently operates two units totalling 700MW. The expansion initiative to add four 660MW units was listed in Ningxia’s 14th Five-Year Plan for the energy sector, allowing it to quickly acquire the permits necessary to proceed with work.
The first of the new units was commissioned last week. While specific commissioning dates for the remaining three units have not been confirmed, when commencing construction in 2023, CEIC said the project aims to go into full operation in 2026.
The expanded coal-fired power plant will serve as a key peak-regulating source for the Ningxia Tengger desert-Gobi-wasteland energy base and the Ningxia–Hunan UHV DC transmission project, representing coal’s enduring role in grid stability and peak regulation, as clean energy expands but struggles to keep up with rising demand.
4. Saeul 3 and 4 Nuclear Reactors – South Korea
South Korea’s Saeul 3 and 4 pressurised water reactors (PWRs), each with 1.4GW of capacity, are set to be the largest nuclear units coming online in 2026. The project marks the next chapter for the Saeul (formerly Shin Kori) Nuclear Power Site in Ulsan.
The site already hosts the Saeul 1 and 2 PWRs, which began commercial operations in 2016 and 2019, respectively. However, units 3 and 4 have faced repeated delays including a construction halt in 2017 amid a government review of a potential nuclear phase-out, and delays in 2022 when stricter seismic design standards were introduced.
Now back on track, Saeul 3 is due to be commissioned in August 2026 and Saeul 4 in November, although some sources report the latter unit may come online the following year.
The project is developed by Doosan Enerbility, the main contractor for the project, and owned and operated by Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power. Multiple other Korean construction giants are also involved in its development, with Korea Power Engineering Company (known as KEPCO) providing architectural engineering and SK Engineering & Construction (E&C), Samsung C&T and Hanwha E&C assisting Doosan with civil works.
5. Project Matador – US
Project Matador, led by Fermi America, is less a single power plant and more a sprawling 11GW hybrid energy and AI data centre complex.
The scale of ambition for Matador is extraordinary; the project will host more than 18 million square feet of data centres alongside energy infrastructure to power their operations, with the generation mix composed of 4.6GW from natural gas-fired power, 4GW from AP1000 nuclear reactors, 2GW from small modular reactors and up to 1.75GW of solar. The venture represents $500bn in investment and involves a multitude of partners – both domestic and international – such as Siemens Energy, Westinghouse Electric, Hyundai E&C and Doosan Enerbility.
Given its complexity, the project is to be developed in multiple phases, with the first targeted for this year: Fermi America intends to bring an initial 1GW of power generation from natural gas online by late 2026. This phase appears to be on track, as last week the project marked a tangible milestone with the arrival of six Siemens Energy SGT-800 gas turbines.
6. Caculo Cabaça Hydropower Project – Angola
The Caculo Cabaça hydroelectric power station is the largest hydropower project to be commissioned in 2026. The 2.17GW project on the Kwanza River is set to become Angola’s largest hydropower plant, surpassing the 2.07GW Laúca plant, and the third-largest hydropower facility in Africa.
Developed by China Gezhouba Group, the full owner of the project, and Angola’s Ministry of Energy and Water, the project is a run-of-river scheme with a planned reservoir capacity of 440 million cubic metres and a gross head of 215m.
Once operational, the plant is expected to generate around 8.12 terawatt-hours of electricity annually. The project marks a major milestone for sub-Saharan infrastructure and Chinese overseas energy investment.
7. Hell's Kitchen Geothermal Project – US
Of the more overlooked power sources – including solar thermal, geothermal, ocean and biopower – the most significant project set for commissioning is the Hell's Kitchen Geothermal Project in the Salton Sea, California.
The project stands out not only for its planned capacity – up to 500MW of 24/7 baseload geothermal power – but also for its integration with battery-grade lithium extraction. Owned and developed by Controlled Thermal Resources (CTR), the project aims to produce 175,000–300,000t of lithium carbonate equivalent annually once fully operational.
Conventional lithium production methods have been criticised for high-polluting processes, but the Hell’s Kitchen project offers a cleaner alternative by utilising ion-exchange extraction technology powered by geothermal electricity generated on-site.
CTR has targeted the first phase of commissioning in 2026 – providing 50MW of geothermal power and 25,000 of lithium hydroxide monohydrate – but recent sources say this may be delayed to 2027.
