Tata Projects, an India-based turnkey project provider, has released its FY 2020 financial results.
In these financial results, the company lists some of its completed projects from the year.
Within this, Tata lists the well-known Micron semiconductor plant project, but the company also mentions the solar manufacturing plant for US-based expert First Solar.
In January 2024, First Solar inaugurated a facility in Tamil Nadu, India, making it the country’s first fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing plant.
The facility was designed to produce First Solar’s Series 7 photovoltaic (PV) solar modules, which were developed at the company’s research and development centres in the US and optimised for the Indian market.
The company’s tellurium-based semiconductor, which allows it to avoid dependence on Chinese crystalline silicon supply chains, is the second most common photovoltaic technology available today.
The facility was designed to produce First Solar’s Series 7 photovoltaic (PV) solar modules
“The inauguration of this landmark manufacturing facility and the launch of commercial shipments to customers in India is a crucial milestone in our journey to long-term and sustainable growth,” said Mark Widmar, CEO of First Solar. “The speed with which we were able to build and commission this facility is a testament to the policies of India’s Federal and the Tamil Nadu state governments.”
Widmar added: “We are proud of our associates who worked tirelessly to replicate and adapt our advanced solar manufacturing template for India. Thanks to their work, our newest facility doesn’t just set standards for our global manufacturing footprint, but for our industry.”
The factory, which is located in an area of high baseline water stress, is believed to be the world’s first net-zero water withdrawal solar manufacturing facility. Designed to minimize its impact on local water resources, the facility will rely entirely on tertiary treated reverse osmosis water from the city's sewage treatment plant and have zero wastewater discharge.
Additionally, the factory is home to India’s first solar PV recycling plant. The company pioneered high value solar recycling, which provides closed-loop semiconductor recovery for use in new modules, while also recovering other materials including aluminum, glass, and laminates.
Solar panel manufacturing needs to take place under controlled conditions in order to protect the functionality of the product, due to the sensitive nature of its parts.