Chinese module manufacturer GCL System Integration (GCLSI) has signed a module supply contract with NTPC Renewable Energy (NTPCREL), a subsidiary of Indian utility NTPC, to supply the company with 1.1GW of solar modules.
This is the largest solar module order placed by NTPCREL with a single module supplier, and GCL noted that its modules would be deployed on “various NTPC projects” currently in the commissioning phase. The utility has a vast operating power capacity, with 73GW of power installations either directly owned by NTPC or its subsidiaries, but its solar portfolio makes up only a small portion of this whole, with just 15 operating solar projects with a combined capacity of 403MW.
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The utility has sought to expand its solar portfolio in recent months, signing another module supply deal with Indian module manufacturer Premier Energies for 608MW of panels for its NOKH solar PV project in Rajasthan. NTPC also launched a tender for 1.5GW of new solar projects, alongside a tender for 1.5GW of hybrid solar-wind projects, in December 2023, as it looks to meet the government’s 14th National Electricity Plan to increase the role of solar in the country’s energy mix from 5% in the 2022 financial year to 25% by the 2032 financial year.
While GCLSI did not specify as to whether its order will meet part of either tender, the company plans to complete the supply within the next five weeks, and follows its supply of 1.1GW of modules to Indian renewables firm SAEL industries last August, as GCLSI looks to expand its Indian footprint. The company did not announce which of its modules would be deployed at the NTPCREL projects, but its portfolio includes two tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) products, the 182mm and 210mm series, which have a power conversion efficiency of 22.5% and 22.4% respectively.
“While we thank NTPCREL for posing the trust in us, we look forward to GCLSI being amongst their long-term trusted partners,” said GCLSI executive president Zhang Kun. “We are committed to delivering world class quality, latest technology and reliable solar solutions to support India’s sustainable energy goals.”
The news follows a forecast by Indian rating agency ICRA, which estimates that the country’s renewables capacity will soar to 170GW by March 2025, up from 132GW in October 2023, due in part to a decline in PV cell and module prices. The continued supply of solar equipment to Indian projects, from both domestic and overseas manufacturers, will be an important part of reaching this forecast in the coming year.