Canadian Solar Inc. is building a solar photovoltaic (PV) cell manufacturing plant with an annual output of five gigawatts (gW), equivalent to approximately 20,000 high-power modules per day.
The company said in a media release that the facility located at the River Ridge Commerce Center in Jeffersonville, Indiana, represents a projected investment of more than $800 million.
The solar cells produced at this facility will be used at the previously announced five GW module assembly plant in Mesquite, Texas. Production at the Jeffersonville facility is expected to begin by the end of 2025, the company said.
The Mesquite facility will have an output equivalent to approximately 20,000 high-power modules per day. The new facility represents an investment of over $250 million and will create approximately 1,500 skilled jobs once it is fully ramped up, Canadian Solar said. Production is expected to begin around the end of 2023. This will be Canadian Solar’s first United States manufacturing facility, following its successful track record of production in Canada, China, Brazil, Thailand and Vietnam, the company said.
“Indiana’s strong advanced manufacturing sector positions the state to help lead the global energy transition, developing and powering new solutions in batteries, solar and hydrogen,” said Governor Eric Holcomb. “Canadian Solar’s new U.S. location in Jeffersonville will put our skilled Hoosier workforce at the center of cultivating solar power, making energy efficient panels more accessible to consumers across the country”.
“Indiana is a proud leader both in the Midwest and the country in manufacturing and innovation. I’m pleased to know that this new solar manufacturing facility opening in Jeffersonville will create many new jobs for Hoosiers and stimulate the local economy,” United States Senator Mike Braun stated.
Emphasizing the importance of this new facility, Thomas Koerner, Senior Vice-President of Canadian Solar, said, “Establishing this factory is a key milestone that will enable us to better serve our U.S. customers with the most advanced technology in the industry. This is the second of the anticipated long-term investments we expect to make in the U.S. as we think strategically about a local, sustainable and clean energy supply chain and to fulfill the long-term requirements of the local-content rules of the recently established IRA. We thank the State of Indiana, Clark County, and the City of Jeffersonville for their critical support and look forward to working with them as we grow”.
“The city of Jeffersonville is pleased that Canadian Solar has chosen River Ridge Commerce Center as home for their newest critical production facility in the United States,” said Jeffersonville Mayor Mike Moore. “Not only are they making a large financial investment into our community, but they will also become one of the largest single-site employers in the Greater Louisville region. When in full production, their total employment base will include over 150 engineers at this facility”.
