KALININGRAD, January 25. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin gave a start to production of solar panels at the Enkor plant in the Kaliningrad region.

"Of course, my pleasure, get started," Putin said launching the operation in a video conference mode.

During the launch ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister and Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov noted that thanks to the launch of the new production facility it will be possible to produce over 200 million silicon wafers annually. The next stage of the technological chain will provide a plant for the production of photovoltaic cells with a total capacity of 1 GW.

"It will be launched before the end of the first quarter of this year," Manturov noted.

"I am confident that the second plant will also be launched in the near future and a full-fledged platform will be created for the development of alternative energy," Putin said.

Located on the territory of the Chernyakhovsk industrial park, the industrial complex for the production of silicon wafers for solar batteries is one of the largest in Russia. The plant was designed and built from scratch in two years. Total private investments in the project were 30 billion rubles ($333 mln). It was implemented with the support of the Industrial Development Fund.

The production complex makes it possible to grow ingots and produce monocrystalline silicon wafers for solar cells with a total capacity of up to 1.3 GW per year.

Solar cell production technology

According to the Russian Renewable Energy Development Association (RREDA), domestic technologies for the production of solar cells have the greatest potential for reducing the cost of produced electricity compared to other silicon technologies, including the highly efficient segment.

"The new production facility is the largest manufacturer of components for solar energy in the Eurasian Economic Union. Its products will protect the industry from market fluctuations and open up additional development prospects. Solar energy can become a harmonious and quick solution to the problem of energy shortages in rapidly developing industrial centers, including in the Far East," RREDA co-chairman Viktor Vekselberg said as quoted by the association.

According to Igor Shakhray, General Director of Unigreen Energy, which builds and operates solar power plants in Russia and the world, 60% of all solar energy is generated in countries friendly to Russia, so the start of new production is a consistent step in mastering new technological stages and increasing volumes production of equipment with high added value and high export potential.

About RES in Russia

Russia launched the state program for the construction of renewable energy sources (RES) in 2013. Over 10 years, the capacity of renewable energy facilities has grown from zero to 6 GW. These are 70 solar power plants with a total capacity of about 2 GW, as well as 26 wind farms with a total capacity of 2.5 GW. These plants are built using Russian solar panels. By 2035, the renewable energy capacity in Russia should reach 17 GW.