Hanwha Q Cells to build America’s largest solar module factory in Georgia

Hanwha Q Cells to build America’s largest solar module factory in Georgia

The South Korean group plans to commence construction of a facility with an annual capacity of at least 1.6 GW near the border of Georgia and Tennessee by the end of this year, with completion slated for 2019.

MAY 30, 2018 JOHN WEAVER]

Hanwha Q Cells

Hanwha Q Cells has announced that its opening a U.S.-based solar module assembly factory in 2019. The press release states that while the exact nameplate capacity of the new facility remains undisclosed, that it will exceed 1.6 GW per year.

 

This is a greater annual capacity than either the factory that First Solar is planning for Ohio or the Tesla/Panasonic “gigafactory” in Upstate New York, and thus will be the largest in the Western Hemisphere.

The facility will be located in Whitfield County, Georgia, near the border with Tennessee. Hanwha officials said Whitfield County will give it benefits worth $30 million by offering free land and reducing taxes.

The company said the product supplied will be passivated emitter rear contact (PERC) modules for the rooftop and ground-mount segments in the United States. Solar cells will be supplied to the facility from the company’s South Korean manufacturing.

Whitfield County location map/google

edited by kcontents

The Korea Times suggests that this was a last option for the company based upon prior public statements. CEO Cho Hyun-soo told reporters in January:

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https://pv-magazine-usa.com/2018/05/30/hanwha-q-cells-opening-1-6-gw-solar-module-assembly-facility-in-georgia

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