During the 10-day long visit, the delegation held discussions with the ministers of economic affairs in the states of Bavaria, Baden Wurttemberg and Chambers of Commerce in Munich, Hanover, Stuttgart and Berlin.

Also, a Bengal Business Centre was inaugurated in Munich, for providing services and information to investors in Europe keen on investing in West Bengal.

The photovoltaic plant, to come up in two years, will be a joint venture between German firm Centrotherm Photovoltaics, US company Perseus and Indian partners Enviro Energy and SREI.

The state government has already allotted a 200-acre plot in Haldia.

Initially, the factory will be churning out photovoltaic cells used in solar panels. This is particularly significant in the context of the growing importance of renewable energy, said the minister.

The factory lay-out will also have the provisions to accommodate future up gradation when the plant will also produce computer chips.

“At the onset it will have a capacity of 5,000 ton of polysilicon processing which could generate 500 MW of power,” said Sabyasachi Sen, Principal Secretary, State Commerce and Industries minister.

Later, it could go on to process 10,000 ton of polysilicon. Being a power intensive process, the factory will be equipped with a 100 MW captive power plant.

The delegation visited the Bayern Oil Refinery in Ingolstadt which is being transplanted by the Cals Refinery in Haldia. “They are using upgraded technology. We are quite satisfied with it,” said Sen. They may also set up another refinery in future and the state government has offered to accommodate it in the proposed chemical hub at Nayachar.

The delegate also visited the factories of the Mercedes Benz at Stuttgart and BMW at Munich.