Trina inks MOU for new module plant in India’s Andhra Pradesh

Trina Solar, part of PV Tech’s ‘silicon module super league’, has signed a provisional agreement to build a new PV manufacturing plant in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

The government of Andhra Pradesh confirmed the memorandum of understanding with Trina yesterday, revealing that the deal would be worth INR2,800 crore (US$422 million) and employ some 3,500 workers.

Few further details have been disclosed on the deal, other than that the plant will be built in the state’s Atchutapuram Visakhapatnam district.

Reports earlier this year suggested Trina was looking at India as a new manufacturing location for exports to Europe and the USA, where Chinese modules and cells are subject to punitive import duties. In May the company agreed a deal with local firm Welspun for 500MW each of cell and module manfuacturing capacity in India. A Bloomberg report later indicated this could be expanded to 2GW, with either Andhra Pradesh or Gujarat named as likely destinations.

Tweeting about the MOU, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, wrote:

Inked MoU with Trina Solar for a solar panel manufacturing plant in AP. It will provide about 3,500 jobs in state. pic.twitter.com/ajbdVMy4e8

— N Chandrababu Naidu (@ncbn) November 17, 2015

Also present at the signing ceremony were state industries secretary SS Rawat and Trina vice president Chen Shou Chung.

In 2014 Trina Solar ousted compatriot Yingli Green to become the world’s leading module supplier. The company is part of a select band of module suppliers that appear to be pulling away from their rivals in terms of manufacturing capacity. Each of the six companies in the league is expected to notch up shipments of at least 3GW this year.

Tags: trina solar, india, capacity expansion, trade dispute