First Solar to open new manufacturing plant in Ohio

The US photovoltaic (PV) solar panel manufacturer, First Solar, has announced it will be opening a new facility in Township, Ohio.

The facility will have the capacity to build 1.2GW of the firm’s Series 6 thin film PV modules, which, when combined the First Solar’s existing 600MW of capacity, will bring its total to 1.8GW.

The site will be located near its existing factory in Perrysburg, Ohio, with construction set to begin mid-2018 and the site to be fully operational by the end of 2020.

The factory’s capital investments are expected to cost US$400mn, with an annual payroll of $30mn.

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The site will cover 1mn square metres of land and is anticipated to generate 500 new jobs in the state.

“Strong demand in the U.S. for advanced solar technology, along with recent changes in U.S. corporate tax policies, have encouraged our decision to grow First Solar’s U.S. production operations,” stated Mike Koralewski, Senior Vice President of Global Manufacturing at First Solar.

“State and local officials and Jobs Ohio have also worked with us to create a business-friendly environment that supported our objectives.”

“These factors, combined with our own economies of scale in high tech manufacturing, make expanding U.S. operations an attractive, win-win opportunity.”