Reliance Power to Set Up Rs 6,500 Crore Solar Panel Manufacturing Unit in Andhra Pradesh

Reliance Power is planning to set up a Rs 6,500 crore solar panel manufacturing unit in the Anakapalli district of Andhra Pradesh. The project aims to use 1,500 acres of land acquired by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC). It is estimated that the project will generate 4,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Reliance Power plans to set up the solar panel manufacturing unit on 1,800 acres in the Anakapalli district.

It may be recalled that Reliance Power had previously set up a gas-based thermal power plant in Samarlakota, Andhra Pradesh, which faced financial difficulties but has since settled its debts.

This new manufacturing initiative is part of a broader effort to boost renewable energy production and create employment opportunities in the region.

Earlier in last month, Reliance Power's subsidiary, Reliance NU Suntech Private Limited, secured a significant contract from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) for developing a 930 MW solar power project along with a 465 MW/1,860 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).

Prior to that, Reliance Power has partnered with the Government of Bhutan to develop large-scale solar and hydro power projects. This partnership represents the largest FDI by an Indian company in Bhutan's renewable energy sector.

Andhra Pradesh is home to a number of solar power related projects & units including Tata Power Solar's 100MW Solar Power Plant in Anantapur. It is a utility scale project using domestically manufactured solar cells and modules.

The state also houses Giga-scale solar PV manufacturing facility of Indosol Solar at Ramayapatnam. It is a Vertically integrated facility covering every step of the value chain from quartz to finished photovoltaic modules.

In Visakhapatnam, Ameya Solar and Semiconductors Pvt Ltd has PV module focused manufacturing unit with 100MW annual production capacity.