Lanco inks pact with Chhattisgarh govt for 100-MW solar cell facility

Lanco Solar Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Lanco Infratech Limited (LITL), has signed an agreement with Chhattisgarh Government to set up 100 MW solar cell manufacturing plant. For the integrated solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing project, which re-started in July 2015, LITL has already earmarked Rs 1200 crore for the polysilicon refining and wafer plant and 150 MW module plant.
 
The project is being set up at a 250 acre SEZ location in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, under the National Solar Mission objective of achieving domestic PV cell production of 2200 MW/year and the Make in India programme. The salient feature of the project is that it has already approved and committed water and power availability and all clearances for land and its usage.
   
Lanco is on course to commission its under construction integrated solar PV manufacturing project located in this SEZ by September 2016. This unit will produce polysilicon (the starting material for PV value chain) & PV modules, and act as an anchor unit facilitating development of more solar PV and ancillary units within this SEZ.
 
L Madhusudhan Rao, executive chairman, Lanco Infratech, commented, “Solar power in India has a promising future. We are elated to be part of the MOU as this will be a showcase project being the first polysilicon and ingots & wafers manufacturing facility coming up in India which will bring the state of Chhattisgarh on global silicon map. At the same time it plays anchor industry role to attract investments in other solar PV manufacturing units within this plug & play SEZ zone.”
 
Being centrally located, manufacturing units within solar SEZ in Chhattisgarh would have logistic advantage for marketing all over India. The existing industrial zone within 40-80 km periphery of this SEZ would also provide adequate manpower and sub-vendor base support to manufacturing units in this SEZ. “In view of the Make in India initiative, ambitious solar development plans and the employment generation potential of this venture, state of Chhattisgarh and Lanco have decided to jointly invite companies for setting up solar PV manufacturing facilities in this SEZ,” added Rao.