From pv magazine India
Indian solar manufacturers are scaling up their annual capacities in a big way, many to 10 GW or beyond, with government initiatives setting the stage for big deployment. Most production lines are running at full capacity. With the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) mandate, the competition to serve demand has shifted among domestic counterparts.
“Demand has dramatically increased with the prime minister’s clarion call for 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030,” said Amit Paithankar, CEO of India’s largest solar module manufacturing company Waaree Energies. “And that doesn’t include green hydrogen. If we add hydrogen, the number goes even higher.”
The Indian government has invited bids for 50 GW of renewable energy capacity per year, including 10 GW of wind capacity, from fiscal 2023-24 to 2027-28, to meet its 2030 target of 500 GW non-fossil fuel capacity, largely from solar and wind sources. This capacity addition is over and above the renewable capacity being deployed under government schemes like rooftop solar and PM-KUSUM.
“A lot of developers are also optimistic about project deployment. The stage is set to move towards that. Residential PV installation has got a substantial fillip with the launch of PM Suryaghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which gives incentives for home buyers to set up rooftop solar systems,” said Paithankar. “On the agricultural side, KUSUM scheme is a big driver.”
Jakson Distributed Energy CEO Gagan Chanana has said the company has seen growing demand for rooftop solar in the commercial and industrial (C&I) sector, particularly in manufacturing. The company offers hybrid energy solutions based on customer needs, integrating rooftop solar with battery storage, diesel generators, or all three.
Waaree is setting up 5.4 GW of cell manufacturing capacity, which will help it meet domestic content rules for modules. The first cell from the facility is expected to be out within this quarter.
“Our cell factory is very close to commissioning. In fact, most of the equipment are getting commissioned. It’s a 5.4 GW cell manufacturing capacity, which will be fully operational by March 2025. Out of this, 4 GW is TOPCon and 1.5 GW mono passivated emitter and rear cell (PERC),” said Paithankar. “The first cell from the facility will be out in the current Oct-Nov-Dec. quarter. Apart from that, Waaree is setting up 6 GW of wafer-to-module capacity in Odisha under PLI Scheme, which will start production in 1.5 to two years from now.”
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