India Solar PV News Snippets: Premier Energies’ 1 GW TOPCon Factory In Telangana & More
Premier Energies is expanding its solar module manufacturing capacity in India by 1 GW with TOPCon technology. (Illustrative Photo; Photo Credit: IM Imagery/Shutterstock.com)
1 GW TOPCon factory: Premier Energies Ltd. has secured a green signal from its board of directors to launch a 1 GW TOPCon solar module manufacturing factory in Telangana. It will be located at EMC Maheshwaram on leasehold premises owned by the Telangana Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TGIIC). It is scheduled to become operational by March 2025. The project will be executed by the company’s wholly owned subsidiary Premier Energies Global Environment Private Limited. The management says this project is in addition to the planned manufacturing capacity outlined in the offer document which was 4 GW of TOPCon cell and 4 GW of module capacity in Hyderabad. In an interaction with TaiyangNews at REI 2024 in October 2024, the company’s Deputy Manager Krishna Kumar Mishra shared that its current production capacity stands at 2 GW of PV cells and 3.36 GW of modules based on mono-PERC technology.
Tata Power’s Neemuch project online: Tata Power Renewable Energy Limited (TPREL) has energized a 431 MW DC solar power plant at Neemuch in Madhya Pradesh (MP). It will supply power to the Western Central Railways and Madhya Pradesh Power Management Co., Ltd. TPREL won the project in a competitive bidding process one of the ‘most cost-effective’ bids for large-scale solar energy production. It also claims the facility to be India’s 1st solar project site to incorporate a ‘unique’ combination of single-axis trackers and bifacial solar modules. This improves the system’s efficiency by over 15%, it adds.
INR 500 billion RE investment: Serentica Renewables has committed to investing INR 500 billion ($5.95 billion) in developing 10 GW of renewable energy capacity in Rajasthan. This will be an expansion from its 3 GW under-construction renewable energy capacity in the state that will cater to the commercial & industrial (C&I) sectors. Serentica operates over 400 MW of clean energy capacity in the state at present. While Serentica did not specify the renewable energy technologies it plans to invest in as part of this commitment, the company operates in the space of solar, wind, energy storage and balancing solutions.
Solar PV manufacturing in MP: The Indian state of Madhya Pradesh (MP) is set to emerge as another leading destination for solar PV manufacturing in India. Its Chief Minister Mohan Yadav recently distributed land allotment letters for various such projects. This includes Rays Green Energy Manufacturing’s Renewable Energy Integrated Gigafactory with a 1.5 GW solar cell and 3 GW module assembly line in a 45-acre space. It is a subsidiary of Rays Power Infra. Saatvik Solar Industry has secured 50 acres, Alpex Solar 30 acres, Sunkind Photovoltaics 30 acres, among others to establish their solar manufacturing projects here, according to local media reports. Insolation Green Energy too is one of the beneficiaries.
Solar energy research: Solar PV manufacturer Premier Energies Limited has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani) to conduct research and development in solar technology. Both partners aim to develop innovative technologies, involving students and researchers to work on real-world industrial problems. Premier says this collaboration will also help it improve its manufacturing processes and address market demand with advanced products.
Another leading PV manufacturer Waaree Energies Limited has announced a strategic corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative in partnership with IIT Bombay to conduct research and development in perovskite solar cells. Together, they plan to establish an advanced fabrication and characterization setup for high-efficiency perovskite solar cells.