Moser Baer arm inks pact to scale thin-film PV capacity

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Moser Baer India, on Monday, announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, PV Technologies India Ltd, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a leading global equipment supplier to secure supply of critical equipment for a 565 MW-phased expansion of its thin-film photovoltaic-module manufacturing capacity. With the proposed deal, Moser Baer's current manufacturing capacity of 40 MW would increase to over 600 MW by 2010. However, the company has not disclosed the name of the equipment supplier.

Ravi Khanna, CEO, PV Technologies India Ltd, said, "Leaders in the photovoltaic (PV) industry will continue to emerge on the strengths of their ability to rapidly increase scale and technology differentiation. We see an increasingly significant role for thin-film technologies in meeting peak power requirements and now aim to be a significant player in this arena." Thin-film solar modules are ideal for energy farms, rural applications and building integrated photovoltaic markets. Photovoltaic modules based on large area thin-film technology to provide a path to cost parity between solar generation and grid power. According to market estimates, thin-film based solar modules will see large applications and a robust demand that, according to industry estimates, is expected to grow ten fold; from the current 250 MW to 2GW, with a market size of $5 billion by 2010.

Moser Baer's move comes at a time when the Centre has recently announced generation-based incentives for a grid interactive photovoltaic (PV) power generation projects. All central and state power generation companies, public and private sector PV power project developers who have set up or propose to set up a registered company in India will be eligible for generation-based incentives. Grid-interactive solar PV power generation plants of a minimum installed capacity of 1 MWp per plant at a single location will be eligible for generation-based incentives. A maximum cumulative capacity of 10 MWp of grid-interactive solar PV power generation projects can be set up. Any project developer who fulfills the procedural requirements and the guidelines specified would be eligible for incentives.