News: Photovoltaics
4 January 2024
Cleantech Solar to procure 150MW of India-made Series 7 modules to power First Solar India factory
Cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin-film photovoltaic (PV) module maker First Solar Inc of Tempe, AZ, USA has entered into a 15-year, captive power purchase agreement (PPA) with Singapore-headquartered Cleantech Solar, a provider of renewable energy solutions to corporations in India and Southeast Asia. Cleantech Solar will construct 150MW of solar and 16.8MW of wind-generating assets in Tamil Nadu, India, supplying about 7.3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity to First Solar’s new 3.3GW vertically integrated solar manufacturing facility, also located in Tamil Nadu.
When fully commissioned by third-quarter 2024, the solar and wind generation assets are expected to provide up to 70% of the facility’s anticipated electricity needs, displacing almost 7000 kilotons of CO2 emissions over the duration of the PPA. Furthermore, Cleantech Solar has agreed to procure 150MW of India-made Series 7 panels from First Solar, utilizing the modules to power the solar PV component of the PPA. The modules are expected to be delivered in first-half 2024.
“Our new manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu sets a high benchmark for responsible and sustainable vertically integrated solar manufacturing, not just in India, but globally,” reckons Sujoy Ghosh, VP & managing director, First Solar India. “By powering our operations with clean, renewably generated electricity, we are working to further reduce our environmental footprint, which is already the lowest in the industry,” he claims.
First Solar’s Tamil Nadu plant, 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, it 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 PV solar recycling plant. First Solar claims that it pioneered high-value solar recycling, which provides closed-loop semiconductor recovery for use in new modules, while also recovering other materials including aluminium, glass and laminates.
“This collaboration extends beyond powering First Solar’s flagship manufacturing facility in India; it involves leveraging their advanced, ultra-low-carbon thin-film solar panels to energize our solar assets,” says Cleantech’s CEO Sachin Jain. “Cleantech has a substantial presence in the state of Tamil Nadu within the renewable energy sector, particularly in wind and solar. Our state-of-the-art solar and wind energy parks in the region play a pivotal role in delivering clean and cost-competitive power to our esteemed clients, including First Solar,” he adds.
“This collaboration enables our partners’ efforts to diversify their energy sources, integrate renewable energy into their operations, and achieve a higher degree of stability and sustainability in their power supply,” Jain continues. “This partnership exemplifies our commitment to advancing sustainable energy solutions and reinforces our position as a key player in the renewable energy landscape.”
The agreement is believed to be one of the largest intra-state PPAs in India, and the projects being developed across Cleantech Solar’s renewable energy parks in Tamil Nadu are already providing solar, wind and hybrid energy solutions to its corporate customers. With this latest agreement, Cleantech Solar’s total portfolio size in Tamil Nadu is now nearly 500MW across operations and construction stages, and includes solar, wind and hybrid power projects.
India awards financial incentives to First Solar’s Tamil Nadu manufacturing facility
First Solar expanding manufacturing footprint with 3.3GW plant in India
