India Expands Solar Capacity by adding 11.3 GW of Module and 2 GW of Cell Manufacturing

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India added 11.3 GW of solar module manufacturing capacity and 2 GW of solar cell capacity during the first half of 2024, according to a report by Mercom India Research.

The report, titled State of Solar PV Manufacturing in India 1H 2024, attributes the growth in manufacturing capacity to robust demand. The solar project pipeline is expected to total 132.7 GW between 2024 and 2026, further bolstered by the reimplementation of the Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) order in April 2024.

As of June 2024, India’s cumulative solar module manufacturing capacity reached 77.2 GW, with solar cell capacity standing at 7.6 GW. Around 51 GW of module capacity across various technologies and wattages had been certified under the ALMM by the end of June.

The report also revealed that the top ten manufacturers contributed to nearly 58% of the country’s module production capacity and accounted for 100% of solar cell capacity. More than 57% of the installed module capacity is equipped to produce solar modules using M10 and G12 wafer sizes.

Monocrystalline passivated emitter and rear cell (mono PERC) modules dominate India’s production capacity, followed by tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon), polycrystalline, and thin-film modules. As reported by pv-magazine-india.com, the report forecasts that by 2026, India’s solar module manufacturing capacity could reach 172 GW, while solar cell capacity is projected to approach 80 GW.