Premier Energies has commissioned a 7 GW solar cell manufacturing facility in Andhra Pradesh, taking its total solar cell manufacturing capacity to 10.6 GW as the company expands production to meet rising demand for high-efficiency solar modules.
The N-type TOPCon G12R facility at Naidupeta has begun trial runs, while the plant is built across 101 acres at a capital expenditure of ₹3,293 crore, the company said.
It described the facility as India’s largest solar cell manufacturing plant, and said the commissioning was completed on schedule and within the planned budget.
The capacity addition comes at a time when India is stepping up its solar manufacturing and deployment to support its broader clean-energy goals. With solar power already accounting for a growing share of the country’s renewable capacity, the government is targeting 500 GW of installed non-fossil fuel capacity by 2030 as it works towards its longer-term net-zero goal for 2070.
For Premier Energies, the new plant is also part of a broader push to expand manufacturing and reduce dependence on external supply chains. The company is undertaking a ₹12,500 crore capital expenditure programme over three years, which includes plans to expand solar manufacturing, move into ingot and wafer production and diversify into inverters, transformers and battery energy storage systems.
“Commissioning India’s largest solar cell manufacturing facility on time and within budget is an important execution milestone for Premier Energies,” said Chiranjeev Saluja, managing director of Premier Energies.
The company expects the new facility to strengthen its ability to supply high-efficiency solar products to both Indian and overseas markets as the line stabilises and ramps up.
The plant uses automated material handling, packing and packaging systems, along with digital systems and artificial intelligence for predictive performance analysis and process control. Premier Energies said the facility is designed for future upgrades to next-generation TOPCon+ technologies.
Once stabilised, the plant is targeting average solar cell efficiency of about 25.8%. It also has a Zero Liquid Discharge system aimed at increasing water recycling and reuse.
“The combination of scale, automation and advanced cell technology is designed to improve manufacturing competitiveness, strengthen supply-chain resilience and position Premier Energies to address demand for high-efficiency solar products in India and international markets,” said Sudhir Reddy, director and chief strategy officer at Premier Energies.
The company said the Naidupeta facility will support its longer-term plan to build an integrated solar manufacturing platform, including planned backward integration into ingots and wafers.
