A Giant Rises. The Massive Numbers behind Reliance's Kutch Solar Complex

Corrigendum: The earlier version of the copy inadvertently mentioned 14 GW instead of 137.5 GW. The copy is now revised with the revised figure. 

Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) is developing what could easily be the world's largest single-site solar project in the arid expanse of Kutch, Gujarat, the Chairman Mukesh Ambani said during RIL's Annual General Meeting. The project spans a staggering 550,000 acres, which is about three times the size of Singapore. Assuming a rough estimate of 4 acres for every MW, that could mean a project that is close to 137.5 GW, considering the high efficiency HJT modules the company plans to use. 

The company claims that at its peak, the Kutch solar park is projected to deploy an impressive 55 megawatts of solar modules and 150 megawatt-hours of battery containers every single day.

That would be India's equovalent of 'Reliance Speed', making the project a game changer in more ways than one. While the comoany has not provided any timelines yet, the project is expected to start taking shape in phases, starting perhaps in 2026 end. 

Significance for India's Energy Future

During RIL’s annual general meeting, Mukesh Ambani highlighted that the Kutch site could meet nearly 10 percent of India’s electricity needs within the coming decade. 

Strategically integrated with Reliance’s marine and land infrastructure at Jamnagar and Kandla, the project is expected to enable seamless solar and hydrogen energy integration. 

Toward the Green Hydrogen Economy

The Kutch complex is poised to produce and export green ammonia, green methanol, and sustainable aviation fuel, helping Reliance on its journey to turning into a global hub for green hydrogen and its derivatives as well, outside of the fossil fuel business it dominates. These applications for energy from the project are important to keep the huge new supply from facing any curtailment issues, by turning a large part of it into internal consumption by the conglomerate's own operations in the region. 

While the project's initial phase will focus on Reliance’s own energy requirements, the company aims to ramp up production to 3 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) of green hydrogen equivalent by 2032. This vision places India firmly on the map as a significant player in cost-effective green hydrogen supply and its associated products, something Ambani has been promising since 2022, when they unveiled their new energy roadmap.

Breakthroughs in Solar PV Manufacturing

Reliance’s solar PV manufacturing platform has already begun operation at its giga complex in Jamnagar, delivering its first 200 MW of advanced heterojunction technology (HJT) solar modules. 

The comoany claims that these modules offer several gains, including a 10 percent increase in energy yield, 20 percent improved temperature performance, and 25 percent reduced degradation, the company informed. For now, the challenge of competitive pricing has been taken out of the equation by using putput for internal consumption at such a massive scale, with storage to blend costs further. 

The company is set to grow its capacity to 10 GWp annually, then to 20 GWp, making it the largest and most integrated single-site solar PV manufacturing complex worldwide, with backward integration all the way to polysilicon manufacturing.

Giga Factories for Green Revolution

In addition to its solar projects, Reliance is also building cutting-edge giga factories for battery and electrolyser production. 

The battery Giga factory is scheduled to commence operations in 2026, starting with a 40 GWh annual capacity and scalable to 100 GWh. Meanwhile, the electrolyser giga factory, expected to come live by late 2026, will have a capacity of up to 3GW per year, facilitating cost-competitive, large-scale green hydrogen production.