First Solar, the thin film manufacturing giant has set its eyes to the first manufacturing plant in India. This news was not a suprise as first solar was planning to increase its capacity
Jim hughes, the CEO of First Solar said in the call transcripts that they are considering a manufacturing plant in India. Hughes was responding to a question raised by an analyst whether Indian manufacturing rules was a risk for First Solar.
The Hindu business line reported that Hughes sees a big opportunity for First Solar in the private sector projects, (where, the electricity produced would be sold directly to bulk consumers at agreed prices, as opposed to government-sponsored projects that have an element of subsidy.)
Hughes said that “There is certainly some nationalistic sentiment,” he also added that it was “not a risk that we spend a lot of time worrying about.” He also said that even if local manufacture rules were to come up — at present, they don’t apply to thin-film based modules, such as those produced by First Solar — they would come up only in public sector programmes like the National Solar Mission.
“We actually believe the private self-generation market is the source of great deal of the opportunity, and you are not going to face those types of local content issues,” he added.
