Azure Power to Get 600 MW of Solar Modules from First Solar

India’s RE conglomerate Azure Power has announced that it has entered into an agreement for 600 MWdc of high-performance, advanced thin film photovoltaic (PV) solar modules from the US-based solar modules manufacturer First Solar.

Azure Power said that the agreement is the first for production from First Solar’s new manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu, which is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2023.

Under the agreement, Azure Power is expected to take delivery of First Solar’s Series 7 photovoltaic (PV) solar modules from the fourth quarter of 2023 to 2025.

Rupesh Agarwal, acting CEO, Azure Power, stated, ” Having a long-term agreement with global solar modules technology leaders like First Solar is key to de-risking our supply side with the latest technology available in the market.”

Azure Power said that First Solar’s vertically integrated manufacturing facility, located near Chennai, is projected to have an annual nameplate capacity of 3.3 GWDC and is expected to produce a version of the company’s Series 7 modules that is optimized for the Indian market.

Georges Antoun, Chief Commercial Officer, First Solar, said, “This deal demonstrates how experienced developers and independent power producers in India are increasingly taking a strategic view on procurement and securing long-term commitments that help tackle the risks of short-term pricing and supply volatility. When working with First Solar, they benefit from certainty of pricing and supply, and a technology that is advantaged in India’s operating environments.”

The official statement of Azure Power and First Solar held that the thin film PV modules of First Solar are designed and developed at its research and development (R&D) centers in the United States. The modules have a carbon footprint that is 2.5 times lower and a water footprint that is three times lower than the average crystalline silicon solar panel made with cells produced in China.

In addition to its new manufacturing facility in India and a third factory in the US, both of which are expected to come online in 2023, First Solar recently announced that it plans to invest up to $1.2 billion in building a fourth factory in the US Southeast.

The new investments are expected to scale the company’s annual manufacturing capacity in the US by 4.4 GWDC allowing it to reach over 20 GWDC of global annual manufacturing capacity by 2025.