India’s first fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing plant will produce First Solar’s Series 7 solar PV modules, which were developed at the company’s research centers in the United States. The new facility employs 1,000 people.

First Solar has inaugurated a new manufacturing facility in Tamil Nadu, India, with a capacity of 3.3 GW.

India’s first fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing plant will produce First Solar’s Series 7 solar PV modules, which were optimized for the Indian market. The facility employs approximately 1,000 people.

The company has invested $700 million in the facility, including $500 million of previously announced financing from the US International Development Finance Corp. (DFC). The facility is First Solar’s sixth operational factory in the world, with others in the United States, Malaysia and Vietnam.

“The United States is leveraging American innovation and technology to diversify critical energy supply chains around the world and drive economic growth in India,” said DFC CEO Scott Nathan. “That’s good for the United States and it’s good for India. This $500 million in financing reflects the increasing strength of our partnership with India – DFC’s largest market and a like-minded partner with a dynamic private sector.”

First Solar reports that its thin-film PV modules are produced using a continuous process under one roof that does not rely on Chinese crystalline silicon supply chains.