SEPTEMBER, 20258GAUTAM SOLAR TO SET UP 5GW CELL PLANT IN GWALIOR BY 2026NGEL AND VOC PORT PARTNER FOR GREEN HYDROGEN HUBGautam Solar Private Limited (GSPL), a manufacturer of solar modules, is set to establish a solar cell manufacturing facility with a capacity of 5 GW in Madhya Pradesh, with an investment of Rs 4000 crore.The project will be constructed on 54 acres of land in Gwalior, where the company intends to concentrate on the production of advanced TOPCon solar cells, as stated by the company. The implementation of the project has already begun with Phase 1, which will involve the establishment of a solar cell manufacturing capacity of 2 GW. The completion of this development is anticipated by the year 2026.Upon the successful conclusion of Phase 1, Gautam Solar plans to initiate an IPO to secure funding for Phase 2, which will add an extra 3 GW capacity. Looking ahead, the company aims to expand into solar wafer manufacturing to establish a fully integrated solar value chain within India."With one of the largest solar cell manufacturing units in India using the latest highly advanced TOPCon technology, we envision deepening the domestic solar manufacturing context while reducing reliance on imports for the ecosystem," said Gautam Mohanka, Director, Gautam Solar, adding that the company's vision is to integrate solar value chains in India from wafers to modules.The organization stated that the facility will be instrumental in India's transition to clean energy by decreasing reliance on imports, bolstering the local solar supply chain, and supporting the government's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.NTPC Green Energy Limited (NGEL), a subsidiary of NTPC Limited, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with VO Chidambaranar Port Authority (VOCPA) to advance green energy technologies, particularly focusing on green hydrogen mobility at VOC Port.The MoU was signed by Kishore Kumar Hota, CGM of NTPC, and A. Ganesan, CME of VOCPA, in the presence of Union Minister for Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal.Tamil Nadu Minister for Social Welfare and Women Empowerment Geeta Jeevan, MLA Nainar Nagendran, Secretary (MoPSW) TK Ramachandran, and VOCPA Chairman Susanta Kumar Purohit, along with senior officials from the Government of Tamil Nadu, NTPC, and VOCPA.As part of the collaboration, a green hydrogen fuelling station will be set up at VOC Port by NGEL, along with hydrogen-powered internal combustion engine trucks for port operations. It is expected that fossil fuel-based energy will be gradually replaced with clean alternatives, strengthening decarbonization efforts and energy security.NTPC has already run several green hydrogen projects, including the blending project at Surat, Gujarat, running for more than two years, and mobility pilots in Leh (Ladakh), Greater Noida (Uttar Pradesh), Bhubaneshwar (Odisha), and Kandla Port (Gujarat). NGEL is establishing a green hydrogen hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, and is targeting 60 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2032 with integrated energy storage. TOP STORIES
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