Dive brief:
- Norway-based solar company NorSun will invest $620 million to build its first U.S. facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, according to a June 25 report. company press release.
- The five-gigawatt silicon ingot and solar wafer manufacturing facility will create 320 jobs and potentially expand production to 10 GW.
- Construction of the facility is expected to begin later this year and production is expected to begin in 2026.
Diving knowledge:
The Tulsa solar project, initially announced in Octoberit has an “ambitious timeline,” according to the release.
The facility aims to meet growing demand from US solar cell and panel manufacturers to support the growth of the renewable energy sector, according to the statement.
While NorSun has not disclosed whether it received financial support from the US government, the company has mentioned Inflation Reduction Act incentives for building domestically. NorSun received a subsidy of 54 million euros from the European Union Innovation Fund in July 2023 for a three GW expansion of its current ingot and wafer capacity at its plant in Årdal, Norway.
The two companies signed a silicon wafer supply agreement last October as part of Ontario-based Silfab’s efforts to strengthen its supply chain in North America by adding 1 gigawatt of cell production. domestic cells
Although the company’s expansion into the United States has been smooth, Norsun ran into some setbacks in the supply chain in Europe last September. Due to the influx of “exceptionally low-priced” Chinese solar modules, the company announced that it has temporarily halted production at its Årdal plant. plant and lay off employees until the end of 2023.
In a statement, NorSun said import restrictions in the US led to a reorientation of Chinese modules to Europe, leading to a significant inventory build-up of more than a year’s worth of de-installed capacity in stock .
Norsun started in 2007. The company is headquartered in Oslo with production facilities in Årdal on the west coast of Norway and employs about 200 people, according to the press release.
