First Solar, Inc. plans to invest approximately ₹2,500 crore over the next 2-3 years to upgrade technology at its solar module manufacturing facilities in Tamil Nadu. Sujoy Ghosh, Vice President and Country Managing Director for India, shared these details with a newspaper.
The investment aims to boost the throughput of its integrated solar module unit, which currently has a capacity of 3.3 GW per year. Following the technology upgrade, the company expects to increase its effective capacity to 3.5 GW and create an additional 300 jobs at the plant.
First Solar is India’s first fully integrated solar manufacturing facility, producing everything from semiconductors to modules. To date, the company has invested about ₹5,600 crore in developing this plant.
Ghosh also mentioned that First Solar is focusing on localizing its supply chain to meet the requirements of production-linked incentives (PLI). While supply chain development takes time, the pace picks up as the main plant is constructed and market demand becomes clearer.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy recently proposed an expansion of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) to include solar cells. Addressing this, Ghosh said, “India has the potential to counter China’s strategic dominance of global solar value chains, and it cannot achieve this potential by relying on Chinese supply chains for critical components such as cells.”
First Solar, Inc. is a prominent American company specializing in the design, manufacturing, and sale of photovoltaic (PV) solar modules and solar power plants. Established in 1999, it has become a global leader in the renewable energy sector, known for its advanced thin-film technology.
First Solar’s cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar modules are highly efficient and have a lower environmental impact compared to traditional silicon-based modules. The company is committed to sustainability, focusing on reducing carbon emissions and offering recycling programs for its solar panels. With operations spanning North America, Asia, and Europe, First Solar plays a significant role in the transition to clean energy globally.
