Solar manufacturing giants building, to build facilities in the US
Since the enactment[1] of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) in 2022 by the Biden administration, an increasing number of world-class solar manufacturers have announced plans to establish production lines in the US. These moves aim to maintain a competitive presence in both the US and global markets.
As of now, Trina Solar, JA Solar, JinkoSolar, LONGi[2] and CSI Solar[3], the world’s top five module manufacturers, have either established or are in the process of constructing manufacturing facilities in the US.
Earlier this month, Trina Solar announced a $200 million investment to build a solar module production plant in Wilmer, Texas with a designed annual capacity of 5 GW and with polysilicon sourced in the US and Europe. The plant is expected to go into operation in 2024, and create 1,500 local jobs upon completion.
In June, CSI Solar said it will invest more than $250 million to build a production plant in Mesquite, Texas, boasting an annual capacity of 5 GW. The plan will start production around the end of 2023 and help create about 1,500 skilled solar jobs.
In March, LONGi announced a partnership with US clean energy developer Invenergy to build a 5 GW solar module production plant in Ohio. As per the agreement, construction commenced in April and operation will begin by the end of this year. The company said it will become one of the largest module manufacturing plants in the US. About 850 jobs will be created.
In the same month, JinkoSolar invested about $81 million to build a new production plant with an annual output of 1 GW in Jacksonville, Florida. It is seen as an upgrade and expansion for its existing 400-MW US factory built in 2018.
At the beginning of 2023, JA Solar announced that it had invested $60 million in a 2-GW solar module manufacturing line in Phoenix, Arizona, which is projected to come into operation in Q4 of 2023, paving the way for over 600 new job opportunities.
When it comes to the solar industry, IRA aims to increase domestic solar manufacturing and strengthen the supply chain, reducing dependence on Chinese components. Most of these investments in the US are from China’s leading solar companies. How their inputs impact the US and global solar supply chains, as well as their own growth, may need some time to present.