Written by: Basant El-Farmawi
VSL PowerHive, a subsidiary of Vikram Solar, plans to establish an advanced assembly plant for battery energy storage systems in the Oragadam area near Chennai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The production capacity of the new facility is set to reach 7.5 GWh per year, with ambitious plans to raise this capacity to 15 GWh per year through developmental phases, aiming toward the company's strategic goal of producing 30 GWh by 2030.
Strategic Project Details
The factory spans an area of nearly 165,000 square feet and is expected to be inaugurated in January 2027, while commercial operations will begin in April of the same year. The facility will assemble energy storage systems based on lithium iron phosphate batteries, a technology in growing demand for large-scale utility applications and industrial and commercial sectors. The factory's product list will include liquid-cooled storage containers with capacities reaching 5.016 and 6.25 MWh, as well as battery cabinets and energy storage systems integrated with renewable energy sources, as part of the "Make in India" initiative to boost domestic manufacturing.
Expansion and Technical Leadership Ambitions
The company plans to expand into cell manufacturing starting in 2028 through a 7.5 GWh program, aiming to build an integrated system for manufacturing batteries locally from the cell to the final system. To enhance its technological sovereignty and reduce reliance on foreign expertise, PowerHive is working to develop local battery technologies while registering multiple patents. The company's leaders believe that energy storage is the necessary bridge to link India's ambitions in the renewable energy sector with providing clean, continuous power around the clock, which represents a fundamental pillar for the next phase of the country's energy transition, as Vikram Solar seeks to expand its role in the value chain from power generation to storage.
