Integrated solar cell and module manufacturing company Premier Energies has commissioned a new 1.2 GW tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) solar cell manufacturing line in Hyderabad, Telangana.

TOCon technology involves an ultra-thin tunnel oxide layer (usually silicon dioxide) grown on the solar cell’s silicon wafer surface, which is then overlaid with a highly treated silicon layer. This technology helps electrons move faster compared to conventional cells.

Premier Energies said the new TOPCon line has increased the company’s solar cell production capacity from 2 GW to 3.2 GW. The commissioning is part of its roadmap to deliver high-efficiency, vertically integrated manufacturing, from ingots and wafers to cells and modules.

The company is working to enhance its cell and module manufacturing capacity to 8.4 GW and 11.1 GW, respectively, by June 2026. It claims it can deliver TOPCon cells with efficiencies exceeding 25%.

In May this year, Premier Energies entered a joint venture agreement with Taiwan-based Sino-American Silicon Products (SAS) to manufacture and sell silicon solar wafers in India. Premier will hold a 74% equity stake in Premier Energies GWC, and SAS will hold the remaining 26%. Premier Energies GWC is currently Premier’s wholly owned subsidiary with an authorized share capital of ₹1 million (~$11,740). The joint venture will establish a 2 GW manufacturing facility in India to produce advanced solar wafers for domestic and global markets.

In December 2024, Premier Energies Global Environment, a subsidiary of Premier Energies, announced the setting up of a 1 GW solar module manufacturing facility at the EMC Maheshwaram industrial zone in Telangana.

In August, Premier Energies announced a joint venture with Heliene, a North American-based solar module manufacturer, to establish a solar cell manufacturing facility in the U.S. The unit was expected to produce an aggregate capacity of 1 GW of N-type cells annually to meet the cell requirements of the two companies.