BHEL augments solar PV manufacturing facility to 8MW per annum

NEW DELHI, INDIA: As another step toward supporting the Government of India’s Green Energy Initiative, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd (BHEL) has enhanced the solar photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturing facility at its Electronics Division, Bangalore, from 3MW to 8MW per annum.

The company’s new state-of-the-art, upgraded unit was dedicated to the nation by Vilasrao Deshmukh, Hon’ble Union Minister for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, in the presence of Arun Yadav, Hon’ble Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Ananth Kumar, Member of Parliament. M. Krishnappa and D.K. Shivakumar, MLAs; Dr. Satyanarayana Dash, Secretary, Department of Heavy Industry, Govt. of India; Sudhakar Rao, Chief Secretary, Govt. of Karnataka and K. Ravi Kumar, Chairman & Managing Director, BHEL, were also present on the occasion, in addition to the Board of Directors and senior officials of BHEL.

The additional photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing facility has enabled BHEL to handle larger (156x156-mm) and thinner (200-mm) solar-grade mono/multi-crystalline silicon wafers, for which process optimisation trials have been successfully completed.

BHEL has been committed to promoting eco-friendly sources of energy and has reinforced its commitment towards renewable energy by upgrading its solar PV manufacturing capacity.

In another step forward in this direction, the joint venture between BHEL and BEL for establishing a 250 MW PV production facility for processing Silicon Wafers, Solar Cells and PV Modules is under finalisation. With this JV, BHEL and BEL are expected to assume a leading position in the area of photovoltaics in the country.

BHEL has been actively contributing to the application of solar PV in remote and rural parts of the country for over three decades. The company’s Grid Interactive/Stand Alone Solar Power Plants as well as independent systems have enabled the people of Lakshadweep, Sagar Islands of West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, tribal areas of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, etc., to vastly improve their quality of life.

Solar cells and modules manufactured by BHEL are also exported to countries like Germany, Australia and Italy. The company’s PV modules are certified to international standards by JRC, Ispra, Italy.

BHEL has been committed to the nation’s power development programme and has reaffirmed its commitment to the Indian Power Sector by equipping itself for the future, by way of technology, facilities and trained manpower to meet the country’s power forecast for the 11th Plan and beyond.

For this, it has already enhanced its manufacturing capacity to 10,000 MW per annum and is further augmenting it to 15,000 MW per annum which is proceeding apace and plans are afoot to hike it further to 20,000 MW by 2011-12.