Tata Power Renewable Energy (TPREL) initiated commercial operations at its newly established solar module plant in Tamil Nadu, marking a significant stride towards bolstering local manufacturing capabilities to support various capacity addition projects.
Located in Gangaikondan, Tirunelveli district in southern Tamil Nadu, the facility has commenced production of solar modules, with solar cell manufacturing set to commence next month. In the March 2024 quarter alone, the plant generated approximately 130 MW of modules.
After a three-month period dedicated to operational stabilization, the factory is expected to reach its maximum capacity of 4.3 GW in the subsequent quarter, transitioning to the production of 100 percent domestically manufactured cells and modules. TPREL has outlined plans to expand its investment to establish four GW of solar cells and modules, with a ₹3,000 crore investment split into two phases.
As reported by ManufacturingToday, the expansion initiative includes infrastructure enhancements and the installation of additional cell and module lines utilising TOPCon technology, with each line adding 300 MW capacity. An additional investment of ₹800 crore will be required over the next two years to complete the project.
