Facility Commissioning Details
Premier Energies Limited has commissioned its 7 GW N-type TOPCon G12R solar cell manufacturing facility at Naidupeta, Andhra Pradesh, and started trial runs. This expansion makes the company India's largest solar cell manufacturer with total capacity reaching 10.6 GW.
Financial and Technical Specifications
The facility was developed at a capital expenditure of ₹3,293 crore and spans 101 acres, making it India's largest solar cell manufacturing plant. The project was completed on time and within budget. The facility is designed for high-throughput manufacturing with capacity to produce approximately 88,000 solar cells per hour.
Technological Features
The plant incorporates advanced digital systems and artificial intelligence for predictive performance analysis, tighter process control, and precision manufacturing. It features fully automated transport, packing, and packaging systems to improve throughput, consistency, and operating efficiency. The facility is designed to be future-ready with potential upgrades to next-generation TOPCon+ technologies, including poly-finger metallisation and advanced edge-isolation processes. Following stabilisation and ramp-up, the facility is targeting average solar cell efficiency of approximately 25.8%. A Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system has been implemented to maximise water recycling and reuse.
Management Commentary
Mr. Chiranjeev Saluja, Managing Director, stated that the commissioning represents an important execution milestone and positions the company to serve growing demand for high-efficiency solar products with greater supply reliability and operating efficiency. He emphasized that this expansion strengthens the company's strategy of building a fully integrated and globally competitive solar manufacturing platform while supporting India's clean energy transition.
Mr. Sudhir Reddy, Director & Chief Strategy Officer, added that the Naidupeta plant represents a major step forward in the company's integrated manufacturing roadmap. He noted that the combination of scale, automation, and advanced cell technology is designed to improve manufacturing competitiveness and strengthen supply-chain resilience.
Strategic Context and Future Plans
The commissioning is part of Premier Energies' broader ₹12,500 crore capital expenditure programme over three years to more than double its solar manufacturing capacity. The program includes plans for backward integration into ingots and wafers, and diversification into inverters, transformers, and battery energy storage systems. The company has a 30-year track record in solar manufacturing and has earned Great Place to Work certification for five consecutive years.