GE Renewable Energy Opens New Hybrid Inverter and Battery Manufacturing Facility in Chennai

To tap the rising demand for hybrid renewable energy solutions in the Indian market, $16 billion GE Renewable Energy has opened its new inverter and battery energy storage solution (BESS) manufacturing facility in Vallam, near Chennai, India.

Commenting on the development, Prakash Chandra, Renewable Hybrids CEO, GE Renewable Energy, said “as the industry and customers’ demand dispatchable renewable energy to navigate the energy transition, the need for hybrid systems is increasing exponentially. This world-class facility that has been set up following the Lean principles of reducing waste and improving productivity is well suited to help respond to customers’ demand and strengthen GE’s place in the hybrids space.”

The newly opened facility, having total employee headcount of 250 including 20 women, will manufacture FlexInverter and FlexReservoir products, and help integrate them with FlexIQ offering, from the company’s newly-launched Flex portfolio, designed to solve customer needs through multiple applications to enable dispatchable, green MWhs.

The FlexIQ is a digital platform that provides design, operation and fleet management solutions to enable grid compliance and maximize lifetime customer value.

The FlexReservoir is a system integrated battery energy storage and power electronics solution for multiple configurations and market applications, while FlexInverter is a containerized solution that delivers a reliable, cost-effective, plug & play, factory integrated power conversion platform for utility-scale solar and storage applications.

The factory has been centrally located and connected to the national highways, airports, and seaports, and will be able to fully produce and integrate systems at the site, which reduces the time taken at the site and helps create more value for customers.

The company in a statement said that “as our customers navigate the energy transition, they require flexible, reliable and intelligent solutions that can solve for complex challenges, and GE Renewable Energy is committed to doing just that.”

It further added, “the products from this facility will make renewable energy more dispatchable, ensure grid resiliency, efficiency, reliability, and make renewable energy function more affordable.”