India's largest thinfilm solar PV module production line is ready

Moser Baer, India's semiconductor hope, has announced that its photovoltaic subsidiary is ready for production of thin film photovoltaic module at its manufacturing plant in Greater Noida, U. P. This follows final acceptance test (FAT) certification of Moser Baer Photovoltaic’s SunFab Thin Film Line supplied by Applied Materials, Inc., the California-based nanomanufacturing technology solutions provider. The certification verifies that the SunFab line has met all manufacturing, module efficiency and yield specifications.

This is a major milestone for both Moser Baer and Applied Materials representing the start of production of thin film module by Moser Baer, which was Applied’s first SunFab customer. The 40MW capacity line is the largest thin film solar line in India. This single junction SunFab line has demonstrated the highest production capacity to date for manufacturing the world’s largest (2.2m x 2.6m) solar module.

Commenting on the development, Deepak Puri, the Chairman and Managing Director of Moser Baer, said: “Moser Baer is pursuing a differentiated strategy in the high growth photovoltaic business and launching production of the SunFab thin film solar module line is of great significance in our effort to bring the solar energy dream to fruition. The thin film line will help us significantly scale up our manufacturing capacity and supply thin film solar module to our customers. The close relationship we have with Applied has enabled us to quickly ramp up our Greater Noida facility.”

Mike Splinter, Applied Materials’ Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are very pleased to have achieved this key customer sign-off for our thin film production line, the first SunFab line in India. We are especially grateful to Moser Baer, our first SunFab customer, for its commitment to our approach in driving down the cost of solar electricity using 5.7m2 substrates.”

The Applied SunFab Thin Film Line is a fully-integrated PV module production line that delivers leading-edge solar manufacturing capability using advanced engineering, process equipment, automation and other key supporting technologies. PV module produced by Applied’s SunFab line have been certified by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), verifying that they meet stringent performance and safety specifications under challenging environmental conditions.

“This important collaboration established the first advanced thin film solar facility in India that builds on Applied’s proven technology from the semiconductor and LCD industries,” said Dr. Rajiv Arya, CEO, Moser Baer Photovoltaic. “Using our manufacturing expertise and Applied’s advanced SunFab solar technology, we will provide the innovative PV products that can significantly reduce electric power and utility costs and provide a cost-effective option for clean and renewable energy.”

“We are excited to see how rapidly this factory achieved 40MW capacity production with high yields—a tribute to great teamwork between the companies,” said Dr. Randhir Thakur, senior vice president and general manager, SunFab Thin Film Solar and Display Business Group at Applied Materials. “We attribute much of our success in this project to the strong presence we have had in India for more than five years, during which time we have built a solid support infrastructure with the capability to implement complex advanced projects on schedule.”

When most of the semiconductor market is down, Solar is moving in growth direction. Solar has a potential for long term growth in power starved coutries like India. With solar energy harvesting becoming more practical, lot of wasteland not fit for agriculture can be used to build large scale solar farms which will enable the market for thin film solar modules.