Premier Energies has commissioned a 7 GW N-type TOPCon G12R solar cell manufacturing facility at Naidupeta, Andhra Pradesh, taking its total solar cell manufacturing capacity to 10.6 GW and positioning the company as India’s largest solar cell manufacturer.
The company said the new facility, spread across 101 acres, was commissioned on time and within its planned capital expenditure of Rs 3,293 crore. Trial production has now begun.
The plant is designed to manufacture approximately 88,000 solar cells an hour, significantly expanding Premier Energies’ ability to meet rising demand for high-efficiency solar products in India and overseas markets.
Commenting on the development, Chiranjeev Saluja, Managing Director, Premier Energies Limited, said: “Commissioning India’s largest solar cell manufacturing facility on time and within budget is an important execution milestone for Premier Energies. We remain positive on the outlook for orders, pricing and demand for high-efficiency solar products.
"The timing of this 7 GW capacity addition is therefore significant: as the line stabilises and ramps up, it gives us the scale to serve that demand with greater supply reliability and operating efficiency. Together with our planned backward integration into ingots and wafers, this strengthens our strategy of building a fully integrated and globally competitive solar manufacturing platform while supporting India’s clean energy transition.”
The Naidupeta facility incorporates digital manufacturing systems and artificial intelligence-enabled tools aimed at predictive performance analysis, tighter process control and precision manufacturing. Automated material transport, packing and packaging systems are also designed to boost throughput, consistency and operating efficiency.
Premier Energies said the commissioning marks a significant expansion of its manufacturing footprint and strengthens its ability to serve both domestic and international customers seeking high-efficiency solar products.
Sudhir Reddy, Director & Chief Strategy Officer, Premier Energies Limited, added: “Naidupeta plant is a major step forward in our integrated manufacturing roadmap. 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.”
The 7 GW facility has also been designed with future upgrades in mind. Premier Energies said the plant can potentially be upgraded to next-generation TOPCon+ technologies, including poly-finger metallisation and advanced edge-isolation.
With the addition of the Naidupeta facility, Premier Energies is substantially scaling up its solar cell manufacturing capacity as it pursues a more integrated manufacturing strategy, including planned backward integration into ingots and wafers.
