Vikram Solar set to be largest solar PV cell making unit
The production unit will be spread across an area of 10,300 square ft
image for illustrative purpose
New Delhi: SOLAR-ENERGY giant Vikram Solar has announced the launch of new solar photovoltaic (PV) module 1.3 Giga Watts (GW) manufacturing facility in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. On the eve of its 15th year of operations, the indigenous solar module company said that the new manufacturing unit, inaugurated by State Chief Minister MK Stalin, will have the state-of-the-art technology to facilitate production.
With this announcement, Vikram Solar has become the biggest indigenous solar module manufacturer in the country with total capacity of 2.5 GW. The company aims to further expand its capacity cumulatively to 5 GW in the next 3 to 5 years with an investment of Rs 5,000 crore.
Speaking on the announcement, Gyanesh Chaudhary, Managing Director, Vikram Solar, said, "We believe that the exponential demand surge for solar energy coupled with a clarion call globally to diversify trade markets and supply chain presents a huge opportunity for indigenous solar manufacturing... We believe, our new facility further strengthens not just Vikram Solar but the Nation's solar manufacturing prowess and ecosystem. Apart from bridging the demand-supply gap for modules, our facility will propel technological innovation, job creation and aid India's renewable energy targets."
The company said that the new plant will include technologies such as M12 cell modules, high-efficiency bi-facial and smart modules. The production unit will be spread across an area of 10,300 square ft. The company already has a unit in Falta, Kolkata, West Bengal and is planning to add a third plant in Chennai where "other components of solar" will be manufactured.
"We have around 1,700-1,800 people now and with the expansion of the Chennai team, I think this (workforce addition) will touch 2,700 by this year end," said Saibaba Vutukuri, CEO, Vikram Solar.
"The modules that we are going to manufacture are the latest technology commercially available in the world. It is called the mono-perc, bi-facial and mono-facial, where the module efficiency is between 19.5 and 25 per cent," Vutukuri added. The newly inaugurated plant, according to the company, is not eligible for Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme. The first phase of the 5 GW, which is 1.3 GW unveiled recently, has capital investment of Rs 200 crore.
India, at present, has a domestic manufacturing capacity of 3GW for solar cells and 15GW for solar modules, but is planning to achieve 100GW of solar power generation capacity by next year.
Apart from bridging the demand-supply gap for modules, our state-of-the-art facility will propel technological innovation, job creation and aid India's renewable energy targets
-Gyanesh Chaudhary, Managing Director
