Gujarat Borosil to invest Rs 435 crore to double capacity

Solar glass manufacturer Gujarat Borosil plans to invest around Rs 435 crore to more than double its manufacturing capacity of tempered solar glass facility by fiscal 2020.

The company, which has a facility in Bharuch in Gujarat, currently manufactures 180 tonne per day of 2 mm tempered solar glass, which is used on existing glass modules to improve efficiency.

"Our 2 mm solar glass is not only lighter than the current world standard of 3.2 mm, but also absorbs less solar energy while allowing higher irradiance to reach the solar cell. It also helps boost output by as much as 30 per cent," vice-chairman Pradeep Kheruka told reporters here over the weekend.

He said the company plans to increase the capacity to up to 400 tonne per day by 2020.

"Many domestic modules manufacturers are our clients and we are also exporting nearly 25 per cent of our production. As our product is accepted both by domestic as well as international consumers, we want to increase the capacity significantly," Kheruka said.

The company plans to invest around Rs 235 crore to set up a new manufacturing line with a daily capacity of 210 tonne. The new facility will be operational in 2019.

"Once this facility is operational, we will rebuild the existing facility and we hope to increase the capacity to up to 200 tonne per day from 180 tonne at present," he added.