Reliance Industries’ new energy business will commence the production of its own solar photovoltaic (PV) modules by the end of the year.
“In the following quarters, we will complete the first phase of our integrated solar production facilities. This includes modules, cells, glass, wafer, ingot, and polysilicon, with an initial annual capacity of 10 GW. Our giga-factory is designed for modular expansion at minimal cost and in the shortest time possible,” Mukesh Ambani said at the company’s annual general meeting.
“Additionally, we have significantly enhanced our R&D capabilities by establishing a state-of-the-art prototyping, testing, and validation lab in India, and we are expanding our Advanced Solar Technology Lab in Singapore,” he said.
Jamnagar facility
To harness low-cost solar energy and make it available round the clock, RIL has begun construction of an integrated advanced chemistry-based battery manufacturing facility with a 30 GWh annual capacity at Jamnagar. Production will commence by second half of next year. “We will start by assembling Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) for utility scale applications and pack solutions for residential, commercial, industrial, telecom, and mobility markets. Progressively, over the next few quarters, we will integrate backward to cell manufacturing and eventually to battery chemicals production,” Ambani added.
RIL has also begun work on establishing a fully automated, multi-GW electrolyser manufacturing facility on the west coast of India, which will be ready by 2026. This giga-factory will be fully adaptable, capable of supporting various technologies such as Alkaline, PEM, and AEM. The facility is built using Industry 4.0 standards and will be expandable in a modular fashion to meet market demand.
RIL has leased arid wasteland in Kutch, 250 km away from Jamnagar. This wasteland has the potential to generate about 150 billion units of electricity in the next 10 years — providing nearly 10 per cent of India’s energy requirements.
“We have already begun significant project development work and are building our own transmission infrastructure to bring online solar generation projects that will deliver stable, renewable energy on a round-the-clock basis (RE-RTC) at GW scale, in a phased manner commencing 2026. Our proven engineering and construction capabilities, combined with the utilisation of AI and data-driven approaches for configuration, design, project execution, and operations, will enable us to deliver the most affordable and stable RE-RTC power in the shortest time,” Ambani said,
In addition, RIL has secured access to nearly 2,000 acres of land at Kandla port, which complements the existing marine infrastructure at Jamnagar. This integrated coastal infrastructure will provide us with an unparalleled competitive advantage for the production, storage, evacuation, and shipping of green fuels to various markets in India and across the globe, ensuring we fetch the highest value for our green fuel molecules,” Ambani said.
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Published on August 29, 2024
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/news/ril-to-start-production-of-its-own-solar-photovoltaic-modules-by-year-end/article68581935.ece
