BHEL expands capacity for solar photovoltaic modules

The additional facility has enabled BHEL to handle larger and thinner solar-grade mono/multi-crystalline silicon wafers, for which optimised trials have been successfully completed.

Inaugurating the upgradation of the facility, Union Minister for Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises Vilasrao Deshmukh said, “Today is a significant day as BHEL has made a step toward meeting the challenge faced by the power sector and in supporting the government’s Green Energy initiative.”

Greater autonomy

Deshmukh added that the Ministry for Heavy Industries is considering to accord greater autonomy to some of the more profit making public sector units  by enhancing their status to ‘Maharatna’ category.

The expansion cost of Rs 31 crore is financed by the company’s internal accruals.  At the same function BHEL CMD Ravi Kumar announced that the company will set up a 250 MW PV production facility for processing silicon wafers, solar cells and PV modules in a joint venture with BEL.

In this regard, Kumar said, “This move is  backward integration for us as we already manufacture solar PV modules in our Bangalore complex. Some portion of this will be exported.”

BHEL also announced on Tuesday that it has bagged an order from the Indian Railways of 150 locomotives worth Rs 1,000 crore.