Rusnano opens 620 mln ruble flexible solar module plant in Mordovia

MOSCOW. April 16 (Interfax) - Rusnano has opened a plant in Mordovia to manufacture flexible solar modules at a cost of more than 620 million rubles, the state nanotechnology company reported.

The plant, the first of its kind in Russia, will make photovoltaic panels using the latest technology of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) vacuum deposition, the company said. Its capacity is 10 MW or 100,000 square meters of panels per year.

The supply chains for materials and components for the plant's operations and future development of production have been established and are being developed in Russia. The main customers for the plant's products will be alternative energy system integrators.

Flexible solar modules are lighter and thinner that conventional ones, which use glass. They can be installed on any roof or façade and are safe to use in terms of load on residential buildings that are not designed for the additional weight of equipment.

The modules also work better in partial shade and in dispersed light, making them more efficient in converting solar energy to electricity. The Russian-made modules are superior in performance to many imported models, the company said.

"The launch of the plant will make it possible to realize the significant potential of solar energy in the housing and utilities sector. Solar generation is an inexpensive source of energy for end consumers, which helps to reduce electricity costs. The systemic introduction of micro-generation will reduce the burden on existing grids and generating facilities, help optimize expenditures on modernizing infrastructure amid growing energy consumption, and become an important instrument for solving energy problems in regions with energy shortages," Rusnano said.

The plant is modular, meaning production facilities like it can be quickly built in other regions, the company said.

"Production of compact solar panels is an affordable solution for micro-generation, particularly for regions with energy shortages, the housing and utilities sector, grid infrastructure and the end consumer. It reduces the burden on [electricity] rates and stimulates local investment," Rusnano Management Company CEO Sergei Kulikov said in the press release.