- The company is aiming to make it the world’s first fully integrated quartz-to-module manufacturing site for TOPCon and HJT cells.
- Indosol has been awarded incentives worth ₹5,170 crore for 10 GW under two parts.
- The plant will directly employ over 32,000 people in Andhra Pradesh.
- Phase 1A, expected to be completed by December 2024, will create 800 jobs.
Indosol Solar Private Limited, a subsidiary of Shirdi Sai Electricals Limited (SSEL), inaugurated its advanced solar PV module production unit in Ramayapatnam, Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, on March 31, 2024. The facility is poised to produce 500 MW of solar modules using efficient technologies such as TOPCon and HJT.
TOPCon stands for Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact solar cell technology and HJTs are hetero-junction transistor technology. These advanced solar cells improve the efficiency of solar cells by absorbing more sunlight and better conversion of that light into electricity.
The plant currently spans over 30 acres with an initial investment of Rs 1,300 crore. Ultimately, it is aiming to become the world’s first fully integrated quartz-to-module manufacturing site, which means that the whole module will be built in the plant right from the raw material, quartz. Currently this manufacturing happens in stages in different plants focusing on some stages (not all).
The final goal is to produce 30 GW upstream (raw material) and 20 GW downstream (whole module) capacities. This extensive project is planned to unfold in phases over five years. It would require a total of 8,348 acres for complete integration, including necessary infrastructure and green spaces.
In the race to become the world’s first quartz-to-module plant, Reliance Industries (RIL) also plans to commission the first phase of its 20 GW solar photovoltaic giga factory in Jamnagar, this year. It will build the modules with components from quartz to metallurgical silicon, polysilicon, and ingots/wafers.
The Indosol facility aims to positively impact up to 100,000 individuals and directly employ over 32,000 people in Andhra Pradesh. Phase 1A, expected to be completed by December 2024, will create 800 jobs across 500MW modules, cells, and ingot-wafer production lines. The full completion of phase 1 is scheduled for 2025, with a Rs 15,000 crore investment into a 5GW output.
This launch is a major win for India’s self-reliance in solar module manufacturing. Indosol has been awarded incentives worth ₹5,170 crore for 10 GW under two parts under the Production Linked Incentive Scheme for High-Efficiency Solar PV Modules. The PLI scheme, with an outlay of Rs. 24,000 crore, is being implemented by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Government of India. The scheme aims to achieve manufacturing capacity of Giga Watt (GW) scale in High Efficiency Solar PV modules under National Programme on High Efficiency Solar PV Modules.