Azure Power has entered into a partnership with US-based First Solar to supply 600 MW of solar modules. The agreement concerns high efficiency thin film photovoltaic modules. Production at First Solar’s new plant in Tamil Nadu, India, is expected to begin in the second half of 2023.
Azure Power enters into a long-term partnership
The agreement between Azure Power and First Solar is a long-term one. Azure Power is scheduled to receive the first 7 PV modules beginning in the fourth quarter of 2023 and continuing through 2025.
Azure Power CEO Rupesh Agarwal states:
“We are excited to collaborate with First Solar and benefit from their latest Series 7 technology. This long-lasting agreement with First Solar, a leader in solar module technology, will allow us to reduce supply risk by leveraging the latest innovations.”
Advanced technology at the service of renewable energy
First Solar’s vertically integrated plant near Chennai will have an annual nameplate capacity of 3.3 GW. First Solar produces thin-film photovoltaic modules using a fully integrated process in a single facility.
First Solar’s modules are designed at its U.S. research and development facilities. They set standards in quality, reliability, design and environmental performance. The modules have a carbon footprint 2.5 times smaller than basic Chinese crystalline silicon solar panels. The ecological footprint on water is up to 3 times smaller.
An offer adapted to the Indian market
First Solar will produce a version of its Series 7 modules optimized for the Indian market. This is one of the major assets of the long-standing collaboration with Azure Power.
First Solar’s CEO, Georges Antoun, is pleased:
“We are pleased that Azure Power is helping to launch this product that is not only designed for India, but produced in India, for India. This agreement demonstrates that experienced developers and independent power producers in India are taking a strategic view on purchasing and securing long-term agreements to avoid short-term tariff and supply risks. By working with First Solar, they benefit from the security of pricing and supply and technology tailored to the local environment.”
First Solar is also the only company among the top ten solar panel producers to be a member of the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA). It is the largest global coalition committed to defending the rights and welfare of workers and communities in global supply chains.
