First Solar to double US production capacity with new 3.3 GW Ohio plant

• First Solar has unveiled strategies to more than increase its United States manufacturing capacity with a 3.3 GWdc facility in Ohio that will certainly create slim film PV modules for the nation's utility-scale solar field.

The 'Solar Module Super League' (SMSL) member will certainly spend US$ 680 million in the plant, which is expected to begin industrial procedures in the very first fifty percent of 2023 as well as get to full capacity two years later.

The 1.8 million-square-foot facility will certainly be contributed to First Solar's two existing factory in Ohio as well as take its total US manufacturing impact approximately 6GW. It additionally has 2 factories in Vietnam and a further 2 in Malaysia.

It is intended that extra United States production capacity will certainly assist relieve obstacles currently being experienced in the global sea freight market by minimizing the gap between worldwide supply and also residential demand.

First Solar CEO Mark Widmar said that with the new plant, the company is making good on its commitment to support President Biden's goal to shift the United States to a tidy energy future. "This facility will represent a significant leap onward in photovoltaics manufacturing, a true manufacturing facility of the future."

Last year saw Initial Solar ship 5.5 GW of its modules, which were created at its Ohio and also California research and development (R&D) centres as well as feature a layer of cadmium telluride (CdTe) semiconductor.

With the US intending to get to 100% carbon-free power by 2035, the nation's Division of Energy previously this year earmarked US$ 128 million for R&D to aid the PV production industry decrease average utility-scale power costs by 60% to get to US$ 0.02/ kWh by 2030. The funding bundle includes US$ 20 million to support the development of a consortium that will work on reducing the prices of CdTe innovations.

On First Solar's new plant, power secretary Jennifer Granholm stated: "These investments in American-made solar modern technologies are the perfect personification of President Biden's technique to buildout domestic production and also supply chains for critical markets."

After ramping its second manufacturing facility in Malaysia, First Solar struck a manufacturing capability of 7.9 GW for its Series 6 modules earlier this year and also is anticipated to have around 8GW of manufacturing ability for the modules by the end of 2021.

Driven by strong need for its Series 6 series, Widmar said First Solar is currently assessing the potential to additional expand its manufacturing footprint in the United States and also overseas.

As part of efforts to focus on module production, the business has this year completed the sale of both a utility-scale United States solar project advancement platform of roughly 10GW along with its North American operations as well as upkeep organization.