India’s Topaz Solar Private Ltd. has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with France’s Apollon Solar SAS to set up 500 MW of bifacial and monofacial module manufacturing lines. The agreement was finalized during French President Emmanuel Macron’s March 10 state visit to India where he and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met at the International Solar Alliance Conference (ISA) (see Big Announcements At ISA Conference).

The MoU is part of the first phase of a plan Topaz announced last August to build a 1.2 GW manufacturing factory in the east coast state of Odisha. Topaz will set up 100 MW of bifacial and 400 MW of monofacial module lines. According to a Topaz press release, the factory will be the “first of its kind” to produce bifacial modules in India. However, Indian cell/module manufacturer Adani offers bifacial panels as well.

Apollon, which does not yet have a working website, says it will provide the “technical knowhow” for the complete turnkey machinery for a bifacial solar module manufacturing plant. Apollon will also act as a distributor for Topaz modules in Europe.

Topaz Solar, which plans to use German and Chinese technology for the lines, says that construction for the remaining 700 MW of the planned 1.2 GW capacity plant will be contingent on the success of the first phase.

Several other solar contracts were signed between both France & India at the conference:

• India’s Vikram Solar signed an agreement with France’s Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) for advanced research on crystalline silicon cells, modules and systems.
• French company Ciel & Terre will construct a 28 MW floating solar power plant in Tamil Nadu.
• French integrator EDF Energies Nouvelles has renewed a contract with India’s Bharat Light & Power on data acquisition to optimize wind and solar production.