When fully commissioned by Q3 2024, the solar and wind generation assets will generate 7.3 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of clean electricity, providing up to 70 percent of the facility’s anticipated electricity needs and displacing almost 7,000 kilotons of CO2 emissions over the duration of the PPA.
Cleantech Solar has also agreed to procure 150 MW of advanced, India-made Series 7 thin film solar panels from First Solar, utilising the modules to power the solar PV component of the PPA. These modules are expected to be delivered in the first half of 2024.
“Our new manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu sets a high benchmark for responsible and sustainable vertically integrated solar manufacturing, not just in India, but globally” said Sujoy Ghosh, vice president and managing director, First Solar, India. “By powering our operations with clean, renewably-generated electricity, we are working to further reduce our environmental footprint, which is already the lowest in the industry.”
First Solar’s Tamil Nadu plant, located in an area of high baseline water stress, is believed to be the world’s first net-zero water withdrawal solar manufacturing facility. The facility is designed to minimise its impact on local water resources and will rely entirely on tertiary treated reverse osmosis water from the city's sewage treatment plant and have zero wastewater discharge. Additionally, the factory is home to India’s first photovoltaic (PV) solar recycling plant. The company pioneered high value solar recycling, which provides closed-loop semiconductor recovery for use in new modules, while also recovering other materials including aluminum, glass, and laminates.
“We are delighted to announce our strategic partnership with First Solar” added Sachin Jain, chief executive officer, Cleantech Solar. “This collaboration extends beyond powering First Solar's flagship manufacturing facility in India; it involves leveraging their advanced, ultra-low carbon thin film solar panels to energise our solar assets. Cleantech has a substantial presence in the state of Tamil Nadu within the renewable energy sector, particularly in Wind and Solar. Our state-of-the-art solar and wind energy parks in the region play a pivotal role in delivering clean and cost-competitive power to our esteemed clients, including First Solar.”
The agreement is believed to be one of the largest intra-state PPAs in India and the projects being developed across Cleantech Solar’s renewable energy parks in Tamil Nadu are already providing solar, wind, and hybrid energy solutions to its corporate customers. With this latest agreement, Cleantech Solar’s total portfolio size in Tamil Nadu now stands at nearly 500 MW across operations and construction stages, and includes solar, wind and hybrid power projects.
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