Moser Baer India Limited : Union Minister, MNRE and Chief Minister, Rajasthan inaugurates Moser Baer's 5 MW solar farm at village Tinwari, Tehsil - Osian, Distt-Jodhpur, Rajasthan

Jodhpur, January 11, 2012: Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Hon'ble Union Minister, MNRE and Mr. Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister of Rajasthan today jointly inaugurated Moser Baer's 5 MW solar farm under Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) at village Tinwari, Tehsil - Osian, Distt-Jodhpur, Rajasthan. The occasion was also graced by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Energy Minister, Rajasthan, Shri. Badri Ram Jakhar, MP, Pali.

This project is completed under migration scheme of JNNSM launched during 2010 as a part of the first batch of projects. The project will be generating approximately 92 lakh units of electricity per annum and saving carbon emission equivalent to 8,400 tonnes annually.

The solar farm has used Amorphous Silicon Thin Film modules which are best suited for local conditions resulting in better power generation. The indigenously produced modules are best-in-class, each measuring 5.7 sq meters, delivering 380 watt per module. The project has 13,300 modules installed with the capacity to produce 5 MW, good for lighting over 70,000 rural households. The Solar farm is spread over approx. 60 acres of rocky terrain, posing unusual challenges and inviting special engineering solutions. The project has an exclusive remote monitoring system along with measurement of weather parameters.

Inaugurating the solar farm, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, Hon'ble Union Minister, MNRE said, "We thank Moser Baer for setting up the 5 MW Solar Farm at village Tinwari, Jodhpur . The company is currently working on cutting edge R&D for generating Solar energy indigenously in the country and I am sure that the state of Rajasthan will prove to be a golden state towards this effort." Furthermore, he added, " It is critical that our domestic companies manufacture solar modules that can be deployed at different solar farms across the country which will not only generate alternate source of power which is clean but will also help generate employment and create a manufacturing ecosystem within the country."

Delivering the keynote address, Shri. Ashok Gehlot, Chief Minister, Rajasthan said, "The state of Rajasthan will be a frontrunner to produce electricity through Solar Energy. Presently, Rajasthan is producing 80MW of Solar Energy and by next March it aims to produce 150 MWs. Barmer, Jaisalmer and Phalodi is making history in the generation of Solar Energy and going forward we aim to make Rajasthan a solar hub of the country."

Lauding the efforts of the MNRE, Mr. Deepak Puri, CMD, Moser Baer India said , "The strong 'bundling cost' mechanism that has been developed & adopted to offset the higher cost of solar power along with the conventional power available with NVVN is a testimony of MNRE's commitment, towards providing a significant boost to the solar power sector." He further added, "The 'National Solar Mission' which was launched in January 2010 with focus on harnessing the solar energy is progressing well and shall provide new heights in the direction of renewable energy in the country. I must congratulate the Hon'ble CM and the Rajasthan Government for giving an impetus to solar energy in the state."

Mr K N Subramaniam, Chief Executive Officer, Moser Baer Solar Systems said, "Government of India has launched an outstanding initiative in promoting Solar Power through JNNSM in January 2010, which is an important turning point in improving energy availability across the country, in particular, rapidly reaching power to many rural areas which are looking for electric power to achieve development. To promote rapid solarisation of India, I would like to urge the MNRE to create a special corpus for funding Solar Projects, as financing these projects has been a major bottleneck. Furthermore, simplification of documentation procedures to avail customs, excise and sales tax exemptions for Solar Projects will go a long way in strengthening implementation processes. I would like to thank NVVN, NTPC and the government of Rajasthan for their unstinted support and we look forward to Rajasthan becoming a frontrunner in harnessing solar power in India."

About Moser Bear India Ltd:

Established in 1983, the company has successfully developed cutting edge technologies to become one of the world's largest manufacturers of Optical Storage media like CDs and DVDs. It has the distinction of manufacturing every 5th disc globally. The company also has emerged as a leading player in the next-generation of storage formats like Blu-Ray discs in India. Over the years, Moser Baer India has emerged as one of the most credible brands focused on hi-tech manufacturing and R & D activities. It is continuing to unfold the next generation innovative technologies that will catapult India into a respectable manufacturing hub and is poised to lead the technology curve in tapping renewable energy in the high growth area of photovoltaic.

About Moser Photo Voltaic Ltd:

Moser Baer Photovoltaic Ltd is a subsidiary of Moser Baer India Ltd. This entity was launched between 2005 and 2007 to manufacture world-class solar modules and provide EPC solutions for effective deployment of PV Systems. Modules for crystalline silicon and amorphous silicon (thin film) are manufactured using premium quality materials and cutting edge technology for residential, commercial, industrial & custom applications for both on-grid and off-grid use. The PV Systems business has rapidly grown to a market leadership position in solar farms, roof-tops and off-grid applications in India. The business strategy is to straddle multiple technology platforms and to drive scale in a cost effective manner. The strong commitment to R&D and innovation has resulted in manufacturing of cutting edge PV cells and modules that meets the international standards including UL, IEC, ETL, CE. MBPV has been conferred with the prestigious "5 Star Rating" certificate by TÜV Rheinland for maintaining highest standards of quality in manufacturing for consecutive second year.

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Abhinav Kanchan Group Head, Corporate Communications [e-mail] Tel: [phone] Mobile: [phone]

For further information please contact Abhinav Kanchan
Group Head, Corporate Communications
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