Sitten on vielä Hanwha solutions, joka valmistaa aurinkokennoja USAssa Q-cells-nimen alla. Panostaneet valmistukseen USAssa nurkkaamalla norjalaista REC Siliconia, jolla Jenkkilässä polysilicon-tehtaita:
Hanwha Solutions, owner of the complete energy solutions provider Q CELLS, has announced plans to revitalize the U.S. solar market by becoming the largest shareholder of REC Silicon, a major U.S. polysilicon manufacturer.
Following its initial $160 million acquisition for a 16.67 percent stake in REC Silicon in January 2022, Hanwha Solutions will purchase 4.67 percent of shares for $44 million to raise its stake to 21.34 percent. Hanwha will acquire the additional 4.67 percent stake from Aker Horizons, a sustainability investment firm that had been co-owner of REC Silicon with Hanwha Solutions.
This acquisition is the latest step in Hanwha’s plans to secure capabilities across the solar technology supply chain to create good-paying jobs, address climate change, and strengthen energy security.
Currently, Hanwha operates the largest module production facility in the U.S. through its solar panel business unit, Q CELLS. The Georgia-based factory can produce 1.7 gigawatts of solar modules per year, accounting for nearly 20 percent of total module production capacity in the United States.
By becoming the largest shareholder of REC Silicon, Hanwha will expand its renewable energy portfolio in the U.S. and help American businesses secure raw material critical to the solar supply chain. As global competition over clean energy sources intensifies in the coming years, Hanwha will work towards establishing a highly efficient, low-carbon system to boost clean energy technology.
The Norway-based REC Silicon operates two polysilicon manufacturing facilities in the U.S.: Moses Lake, Washington, and Butte, Montana. Their combined annual production capacity totals 18,000 metric tons (MT), including 16,000 MT of granular, solar-grade polysilicon at Moses Lake and 2,000 MT of electronic-grade polysilicon at Butte.