NINGDE, China, March 9, 2026 — Oriental Rise Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: ORIS) (“Oriental Rise” or the “Company”), an integrated tea supplier in mainland China, announced today that its operating subsidiary Fujian Mindong Hong Tea Industry Technology Co., Ltd. (“Mindong Hong”) has signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Shandong Yiyang Zhongji New Energy Co., Ltd. (“Zhongji New Energy”), a renewable energy developer, to explore the deployment of solar photovoltaic power generation systems at the Company’s tea plantation bases.
The partnership is designed to assess the integration of agricultural activities with renewable energy infrastructure—a model commonly known as “agro-photovoltaic” development—where solar power generation can coexist with ongoing agricultural cultivation.
Under the cooperation framework, Zhongji New Energy intends to develop distributed solar photovoltaic systems in designated areas of Oriental Rise’s tea plantations. The project is expected to leverage unused or underutilized spaces within the Company’s tea farms to generate renewable electricity, while preserving tea cultivation operations. Oriental Rise will provide coordination support and assist with project implementation, whereas Zhongji New Energy will be responsible for project investment, construction, and operation.
China has increasingly promoted renewable energy development in agricultural settings, particularly through solar installations integrated with farmland and plantation operations. Oriental Rise believes this collaboration may unlock additional economic value from its existing plantation assets, while contributing to broader environmental sustainability initiatives.
Per the cooperation framework, the proposed photovoltaic project in the Company’s tea plantation areas has a planned installed capacity of approximately 50 megawatts (MW) and an estimated total investment of around RMB165 million, subject to regulatory approvals and project planning processes.
The project is expected to follow a structure where Zhongji New Energy installs and operates the photovoltaic systems, using specific plantation areas under a long-term lease arrangement. The framework contemplates a lease term of roughly 20 years, with a potential automatic five-year extension upon expiration, subject to applicable industry practices and project conditions.
Oriental Rise believes that integrating renewable energy infrastructure with its tea plantation operations aligns with the Company’s broader strategy of enhancing operational efficiency and exploring complementary value-creation opportunities tied to its core agricultural assets.
“Our tea gardens in Zherong County form a solid foundation for growing premium tea,” stated Mr. Dezhi Liu, Chief Executive Officer of Oriental Rise. “We believe exploring renewable energy integration in our plantation areas is a constructive step toward improving the long-term sustainability and utilization of our agricultural infrastructure—all while maintaining our primary focus on tea production and product innovation.”
Management noted that the cooperation agreement establishes a strategic framework for evaluating the project, and any future development will be subject to regulatory approvals, technical feasibility assessments, and the execution of additional definitive agreements if appropriate.
About Shandong Yiyang Zhongji New Energy Co., Ltd.
Shandong Yiyang Zhongji New Energy Co., Ltd. focuses on the investment, development, and operation of solar photovoltaic power generation projects, and provides renewable energy solutions across agricultural, industrial, and infrastructure applications.
About Oriental Rise Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: ORIS)
Oriental Rise Holdings Limited is an integrated tea product supplier in mainland China. Its key tea offerings include (i) primarily processed tea (white and black tea) and (ii) refined white and black tea. The Company’s operations are vertically integrated, spanning tea cultivation, leaf processing, and product sales to tea business operators (such as wholesale distributors) and end-user retail customers in mainland China. It operates tea gardens in Zherong County, Ningde City, Fujian Province, mainland China. For more information, please visit the Company’s website at https://ir.mdhtea.cn/.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this announcement are forward-looking. These statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, and are based on the Company’s current expectations and projections about future events that it believes may affect its financial condition, operating results, business strategy, and financial needs. Forward-looking statements include those regarding the potential development, implementation, and benefits of renewable energy initiatives; the anticipated scope and structure of the cooperation framework described herein; and the Company’s plans and expectations for integrating renewable energy solutions into its operations.
Investors can identify these forward-looking statements through words or phrases such as “approximates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “plans,” “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may,” or other similar expressions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
While the Company believes the expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot assure investors that such expectations will prove correct. The Company cautions investors that actual results may differ materially from anticipated results and encourages them to review other factors that may impact its future results in the Company’s registration statement and other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
For investor and media inquiries, please contact:
Oriental Rise Holdings Limited
Investor Relations Department
Email: ir@mdhtea.cn
