BHEL to invest Rs 800 cr on its solar PV plant

Bangalore-based electronics division (EDN) of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has proposed to set up a backward integrated project for its solar photovoltaic panel business. The company has planned to set up an integrated manufacturing facility for ingots to wafers, cells and panels using crystalline photovoltaic technology. The company, which presently manufactures solar PV panels at its Bangalore plant, has estimated the investment for new facility in the region of Rs 800 crore, K C Ramamurthy, executive director, EDN, said. "We are presently manufacturing 26 Mw solar photovoltaic panels at our Bangalore plant. We intend to embark on a backward integration for this plant and produce solar cells and further manufacture wafers, and ingots in-house in a phased manner," he said. The company plans to expand the present capacity of its solar PV panel unit from 26 Mw to 480 Mw in two phases with 240 Mw in each phase. The proposed plant will be completely automated and first of its kind in the country. Till now, no other company manufactures their own solar wafers and cells including solar PV panels, Ramamurthy said. The EDN has submitted a proposal to the company's board and the final decision is yet to be taken in this regard, he said. more at: http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/bhel-to-invest-rs-800-cr-on-its-solar-pv-plant-113041000623_1.html