Premier Energies commissions largest solar cell plant, capacity at 10.6 GW

Premier Energies has commissioned a 7 GW N-type TOPCon G12R cell facility in Andhra Pradesh, taking total cell capacity to 10.6 GW as it expands high-efficiency solar manufacturing

Premier Energies has commissioned a 7 GW N-type TOPCon G12R solar cell manufacturing facility at Naidupeta, Andhra Pradesh, taking its total cell manufacturing capacity to 10.6 GW from 3.6 GW, the company said in a stock exchange filing on Monday.

 

The facility, which the company describes as India’s largest solar cell manufacturing plant, has begun trial runs, so the stated capacity does not yet reflect full-scale commercial output.    

 

Spread across 101 acres, the plant was developed at a capital expenditure of ₹3,293 crore. It is designed to manufacture about 88,000 solar cells an hour and uses automated material handling, packing and packaging systems. The company said it uses digital systems and artificial intelligence for predictive performance analysis, process control, and precision manufacturing.

 

Focus on higher-efficiency cells

The new facility uses N-type TOPCon (Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact) technology, a high-efficiency solar cell architecture that is gaining ground in India’s manufacturing sector. A study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), published in May 2026, estimated that TOPCon accounted for 8.5 GW of India’s 29.66 GW solar cell manufacturing capacity at the time. The study also identified nearly 22 GW of announced TOPCon capacity expected to come up by March 2027.

 

Premier Energies said the Naidupeta facility has been designed to accommodate future upgrades to next-generation TOPCon+ technologies, including poly-finger metallisation and advanced edge-isolation processes. Once the plant has stabilised and ramped up, the company is targeting an average solar cell efficiency of about 25.8 per cent.

 

The company said in the exchange filing that the plant's automation and scale are intended to improve manufacturing competitiveness, supply-chain resilience and operating efficiency. However, it did not disclose expected utilisation levels, revenue contribution or the timeline for reaching the targeted efficiency.

 

The facility also incorporates a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system designed to maximise water recycling and reuse, according to the filing.

Expansion comes amid domestic cell manufacturing push

The capacity addition comes as India's solar manufacturing ecosystem expands rapidly, partly driven by policy measures aimed at developing a domestic supply chain. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) introduced a separate Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM) -II for solar PV cells in July 2025. The framework is intended to establish approved manufacturers and models for solar PV cells, alongside the existing list for modules.

 

According to Bengaluru-based research firm Mercom India, ALMM List-II cell capacity had reached 35.47 GW.

 

In July, Premier Energies secured orders worth ₹3,011 crore for the supply of 1,846 MW of solar cells and modules in the first quarter of FY27, with deliveries scheduled across FY27 and FY28.

 

The company said it plans to spend ₹12,500 crore over three years to more than double its solar manufacturing capacity, expand backwards into ingot and wafer production, and enter businesses including inverters, transformers, and battery energy storage systems.