France-based floating solar specialist Ciel & Terre opens floating solar factory in Aurangabad

France-based floating solar specialist Ciel & Terre has launched a new manufacturing line in Aurangabad.
Ciel & Terre’s 50MW manufacturing line is now up and running in Aurangabad, after the company partnered with a local blow moulder. Some of the machinery has been imported to speed up the process and improve quality, while high-density polyethylene (HDPE) has also been imported for the Hydrelio product, the company’s trademark floating structure. The firm is already in the process of bringing in more machines to extend the manufacturing line up to 100MW annual capacity, said Stéphane Prouvost, CEO, Ciel & Terre India
Having originally seen India as potentially the first major floating PV market in the world 7-8 years ago, Ciel & Terre discovered it was too early, but Prouvost said the market is now up and running with many states pushing for big projects, including Orissa, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. The firm also generated many major conglomerate leads when it first came to India, with interest from the likes of Tata, JSW Group and Reliance.

Ciel & Terre tends to open manufacturing lines in any markets where floating PV is installed, since transporting large floats can be costly and manufacturing locally can also drive local employment.