Vikram Solar To Invest $110 Million In West Bengal PV Cell Manufacturing

The state of West Bengal will host Vikram Solar Private Limited (VSPL; Kolkata, West Bengal), a subsidiary of the Vikram Group of Industries (Kolkata), a group with diversified interests. VSPL plans to invest up to $110 million for setting up photovoltaic (PV) cell and wafer-manufacturing units in the Falta Special Economic Zone in West Bengal. Accordingly, the company has already launched a solar panel-manufacturing plant in Falta, which will churn out PV modules with an output capacity of 25 MW. The project has been developed at an estimated cost of $22 million. The facility will eventually be expanded to produce 50 MW modules by January 2011.

Apart from the Falta plant, VSPL has also formed German subsidiary Vikram Solar GmbH (Frankfurt, Germany) to keep up with the latest technology improvements in the sector and also establish a presence in the region. The German wing has already established a grid-interactive solar power plant in Kottenheim, which supplies 1.05 MW of power to the nation's grid. The company is presently in negotiations to set up solar power plants in other European states such as Bulgaria, Italy and France, and is also pursuing opportunities in the United States.

With the emphasis on clean energy initiatives in India on the increase, VSPL is also keen on executing other solar ventures in the country. India is reported to have the one of the highest solar intensities in the world. On paper, the country's vast expanse receives up to 5,000 trillion kW per year on land, and developing even a small portion of this power could help meet the power demand. West Bengal is looking to promote a 100 acre solar valley project in an effort to encourage green energy ventures.

However, several remote areas of India still exist without power. To remedy this situation, VSPL, has started an applied research program in collaboration with the Bengal Engineering and Science University (Shibpur, West Bengal) to develop stand-alone solar battery systems with a life of 15 to 20 years. The existing lead acid battery systems have a shelf life of about three to five years only. The research project is being promoted by the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy of India in a bid to develop and demonstrate enhanced electrical storage systems. The scope for solar projects in the country has been further enhanced by the launch of the "Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission" under the auspices of the state and central governments. However, solar ventures are still being deterred by the high infrastructure costs involved.