First Solar starts production at its Series 7 factory in Tamil Nadu, India

First Solar/Series 7 CdTe module

First Solar opened a 3.3 GW annual capacity thin-film solar factory in Tamil Nadu, India, the first fully integrated solar manufacturing facility in the country, with $700M investment backed by $500M in US development-finance loans. The plant produces Series 7 cadmium telluride modules without relying on Chinese silicon supply chains and is designed as the world's first net-zero water withdrawal solar facility.

• 3.3 GW annual capacity manufacturing First Solar's proprietary Series 7 thin-film technology; about 1,000 jobs created
• Series 7 modules have four times lower carbon and water footprint than Chinese crystalline silicon; 4-hour production time per panel
• $500M in US development-finance backing from IDFC and $200M First Solar capital; India's first solar PV recycling plant on site
• Owned and operated by wholly-owned First Solar subsidiary; first location outside US, Malaysia and Vietnam