1G W modules and 1.5G W PV cells! Canadian solar manufacturer announces plans to build photovoltaic projects in the United States

a Canadian solar manufacturer, announced plans to build about 1GW of solar modules and 1.5GW of solar cell capacity in the United States. The announcement, first reported by

Reuters, said Heliene would target another site in Minnesota in addition to the state's existing 800MW module production facility. The company said it plans to produce modules at the new plant in 2024 and begin battery production the following year.

The plant, which will represent an investment of approximately $14.515 billion by Heliene, was previously secured from Orion Infrastructure Capital, a New York investment fund. A $100 million line of credit. The exact location of the

facility has not yet been determined. The CEO of

Heliene Martin Pochtaruk told PV Tech that the cell manufacturing plant will produce n-type tunnel oxide passivated contact (TOPCon) cells. The technology is becoming increasingly popular in the industry, with major players such as Trina Solar and JA Solar both explaining their plans for the n-type transition to PV Tech at the SNEC and Intersolar industry expos.

Pochtaruk also said that with the inauguration of its battery production facility, Heliene's customers will be ready to take advantage of the 10% domestic content adder included in the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) in the government's landmark Inflation Reduction Act.

Last week, PV Tech Premium published an article examining the challenging guidelines released for domestic content adders, and spoke to Heliene and US developer Silicon Ranch. For now, the definition of American-made products will require manufacturers to disclose the entire cost stack of their systems in order for their customers to qualify for the 10% bonus. Cell production is also key to meeting the 40% cost-based threshold specified in the guidelines, as they typically account for about half of the cost of solar modules.

The company already sources aluminum frames in the United States, which sets it apart from many other producers, and has told PV Tech Premium that it would be happy to disclose its costs and open up domestic content incentives for its customers.

Heliene joins other manufacturers Enel 3Sun and Hanwha Qcells, which announced plans for battery capacity in the United States. Enel hopes to produce 2,025GW of heterojunction technology (HJT) cells in Oklahoma by 3 years, while Qcells' integrated manufacturing plans in Georgia include plans for 3.3G W cells.