Tata Power’s solar cell and module manufacturing plant in Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu.

TP Solar Ltd, part of Indian electric utility Tata Power Co Ltd’s (BOM:500400) renewable energy business, has officially opened a 4.3-GW factory for photovoltaic (PV) cells in modules in the state of Tamil Nadu.

The INR-43-billion (USD 490.4m/EUR 475.5m) manufacturing site in Tirunelveli was inaugurated at a ceremony attended by the Minister for Industries and Commerce Thiru TRB Rajaa and company officials, Tata Power said on Friday.

The new factory will deploy tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) and mono passivated emitter rear cell (PERC) technologies and, according to Tata Power, is the largest single-site production base in India. Initially, the company will use the produced equipment for its own needs but will explore opportunities for wider market distribution in future in order to meet the rising demand for locally-made solar products.

Tata Power already runs another PV factory in Karnataka state, which has a production capacity of 682 MW for solar modules and 530 MW for solar cells. It launched a 2-GW solar cell production line at the Tirunelveli factory last September.