SEG Solar plans to set up a solar module manufacturing plant in the US state of Texas with an annual capacity of more than 2GW.
Slated to begin construction by the end of this year and be fully operational by mid-2023, the facility will have three production lines capable of producing n-type TOPCon modules with 182mm or 210mm solar cells.
The development of the factory is the next step in SEG’s product localisation strategy, designed to better serve customers in the US, according to the company.
Jim Wood, CEO at SEG, said the establishment of the plant now makes sense due to incentives for solar manufacturing included in the US’s recently passed Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the country’s current legislative climate.
He added that the plant will give the manufacturer more control over the supply chain while also simplifying transportation logistics.
With plans to source components and materials from US suppliers, SEG anticipates that modules manufactured at the facility will qualify for domestic content incentives and avoid or significantly reduce many of the tariffs and other restrictions facing manufacturers based abroad.
Texas-based SEG said it expects the plant to create up to 500 new jobs in the Houston area.
Since the IRA was signed into law last month, there has been a spike in announcements by module manufacturers aiming to take advantage of incentives included in the bill.
Thin-film module manufacturer Toledo Solar revealed earlier this week it will ramp up production to 2.8GW of capacity by 2027 in response to “surging demand for solar products”, while First Solar will invest up to US$1.2 billion to expand its manufacturing operations in the US.
Switzerland-headquartered heterojunction cell and module manufacturer Meyer Burger, meanwhile, is aiming to reach 1.5GW of module production at its facility in Arizona in 2024.