VSL PowerHive, a company that is completely owned by Vikram Solar, wants to create a battery energy storage system assembly plant with an annual capacity of 7.5 GWh. The plant will be in Oragadam, Tamil Nadu. The plant is supposed to start commercial operations in April 2027. The company has plans to increase production to 15 GWh in the future. The factory will make energy storage systems that use lithium iron phosphate technology. These systems will be used for power projects and for businesses. The company also wants to start making battery cells in 2028 and to expand the battery manufacturing capacity up to 30 GW by 2030.
SNAPSHOT
Parent company - Vikram Solar
Subsidiary - VSL PowerHive
Location - Oragadam, Tamil Nadu, India
Initial annual capacity - 7.5 GWh
Planned expansion - 15 GWh
Long-term target - 30 GWh by 2030
Battery technology - Lithium iron phosphate (LFP)
Project status - Announced / pre-operational
Expected Commercial Operation - April 2027
India-based solar module maker Vikram Solar’s wholly owned subsidiary VSL PowerHive has said it wants to build a factory that will make battery energy storage systems. The factory will be in Oragadam, close to Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
The factory will make 7.5 gigawatt-hours of battery systems every year. This new factory will help VSL PowerHive do more in the energy storage area in India that helps to meet the requirement for batteries that are made in India.
The factory will take up about 1.65 lakh square feet. It will be inaugurated in January 2027 and will start commercial operations in April 2027. At first, it will make 7.5 gigawatt-hours of batteries each year. Later, it will be able to make as much as 15 gigawatt-hours. This project is part of a plan for VSL PowerHive to make 30 gigawatt-hours of batteries by 2030.
The factory in Oragadam will make battery storage systems that use lithium iron phosphate. These batteries will be used for utility-scale projects and by commercial and industrial (C&I) users.
The products they will make include liquid-cooled battery containers that can store 5.016 MWh and 6.25 MWh. They will also make battery cabinets called PowerHive P261 and complete energy storage systems that help connecting solar and wind power.
In addition to making battery systems, VSL PowerHive wants to start making battery cells. This will be a program that will make 7.5 gigawatt-hours of cells starting in 2028. This move is to build a system in India for making batteries. It will include cells, parts, and complete systems.
This new factory comes at a time when India is building solar and wind power plants. This means a need for energy storage. The Central Electricity Authority says India will need 47 gigawatts of storage power and 236 gigawatt-hours of storage energy by 2031–32.
The new factory is part of Vikram Solar’s plan to move beyond making panels into making battery storage. Once it starts working, the factory can provide battery systems to companies that work with power. It will help engineers, builders, power companies, and businesses that want storage systems.
Gyanesh Chaudhary, CMD of Vikram Solar says storage bridges India’s renewable ambition and round-the-clock clean power. Also, the project expand Vikram Solar’s portfolio in the clean energy value chain.