In India, First Solar intends to build a 3.3GW production facility

First Solar plans a 3.3GW ultra-modern facility set up in Tamil Nadu, India that is estimated to create some 1,000 jobs in the state…

A US-based manufacturer of thin-film solar modules, First Solar, announced on Friday that it would invest $684 million in a nearly 3.3 gigawatt (GW) photovoltaic (PV) factory in Tamil Nadu, India.

Upon receiving approval from the Indian government and obtaining the necessary permits, the facility is expected to commence operations in mid-2023. An estimated 1,000 jobs are projected to be created in the state by the facility, according to the company’s press release.

According to First Solar CEO Mark Widmar, India is an inherently sustainable market, driven by a growing economy and appetite for energy with a well-defined goal that will require over 25 GW of solar deployment every year for the next nine years.

In response to China’s state-subsidized global dominance of the crystalline silicon solar supply chain, Widmar notes that India stands out in its decisiveness.

India’s comprehensive approach makes it possible for non-Chinese solar manufacturers to compete on their merits, providing a model for other countries with similar visions, he added further.

The manufacturing process is so resource-efficient that solar modules created with the system have a 2.5-fold lower carbon footprint, a three-fold lower water footprint, and a payback period twice as fast as the c-Si modules from China.

In addition, this advanced thin film PV module, there is a semiconductor layer of cadmium tellurium that is only about 3 percent as thick as a human hair.

In addition to sourcing, manufacturing, and managing the lifecycle of the modules, the facility is expected to be equipped with a high-value, integrated recycling process that can recover more than 90 percent of the materials from processed modules.

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