India's Websol Secures Land in West Bengal for 4GW Solar Cell and Module Plant

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Indian solar cell and module manufacturer Websol Energy System has secured construction land to build a 4GW cell and module manufacturing facility in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal, with the project implemented in two phases of 2GW each.

The plant is located in the Falta Industrial Park in Kolkata, for which the West Bengal government has allocated nearly 2.4 million square feet of land. The new facility is adjacent to the existing solar manufacturing operations within the Falta Special Economic Zone. At the existing site, Websol operates 1.2GW of passivated emitter and rear contact (PERC) cell capacity, which has been included in the government's Approved List of Models and Manufacturers (ALMM), with an annual nameplate module capacity of 500MW.

The Indian PV manufacturer stated that expanding its manufacturing footprint in West Bengal allows it to leverage the locally available skilled workforce, established supplier relationships, and familiarity with the industrial ecosystem.

About a month ago, the company relocated the site of its 4GW solar cell and module manufacturing facility from Andhra Pradesh to West Bengal, after which it acquired the land needed for the expansion. The company stated at the time that the relocation would not affect the timeline of its 30 billion Indian rupee (US$310 million) expansion plan. Phase I of the project is expected to commence operations in June 2027, with Phase II scheduled to be commissioned in the following year, June 2028.

Websol's cell and module manufacturing expansion is one of many projects by Indian companies to build or commission capacity nationwide in recent months. In the module segment, a joint report by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) and JMK Research & Analytics shows that India's annual nameplate capacity has exceeded 233GW.

This scale is equivalent to more than three times India's current solar PV demand. According to IEEFA and JMK Research, India's current demand stands at 65GW; meanwhile, according to the ALMM List-II for solar cells, India's annual nameplate solar cell capacity is slightly above 40GW.

Similar to the situation in the United States, there is a clear imbalance between nameplate capacities for solar cells and modules in India. Indian companies have been ramping up solar cell capacity, with the related capacity set to come online in the coming months and years, including Websol's new 4GW solar cell and module manufacturing facility.