Permionics, a Gujarat-based pioneer in membrane technology, is on its way to fundamentally altering the way we think about sustainability.
With pollution and environmental degradation posing the greatest threat to humanity, the demand for renewable resources and long-term solutions is greater than ever.
As the popularity of renewable energy grows, major solar cell manufacturers and companies in the sector are looking to backward integrate and take control of their supply chain. The solar wafer, which is made from silicon ingots is a critical component of this process.
On the other hand, The production of solar wafers is a water-intensive process. Each day approximately 1 million litres of purified water are required to produce one GW of wafer capacity. This water also known as semiconductor grade water or 18Meg Ohm water is the purest form of water and must be purified using a complex and costly process.
Aside from the large amounts of water required for production, the manufacturing process produces waste in the form of chemicals used to clean and etch the wafers. This waste must be treated and disposed of carefully and many businesses are looking for ways to recycle and reuse water to make the process more sustainable.
According to two government officials, Indian government fully supports this revolution and plans to increase its domestic solar equipment manufacturing capacity to 25 gigawatts (GW) of solar cells and modules and 10 GW of wafers by April 2023. Currently, India has a manufacturing capacity of 3 GW for solar cells and 15 GW for modules. Manufacturing zones for power and renewable energy equipment are also being established in coastal, mountain and landlocked states.