Expansion is accelerated! First Solar plans to exceed 20GW of module capacity by 2025

A few days ago, First Solar, the largest solar panel manufacturer in the United States, announced that it will invest $1.2 billion to build a new factory and expand its existing capacity.

As part of its push to scale production of solar modules in the U.S., First Solar plans to build its fourth fully vertically integrated domestic facility in the southeastern U.S. with an annual capacity of 3.5 GW, which is expected to begin operations in 2025.

At the same time, First Sola plans to invest in the expansion of its two PV plants in Perrysburg and Lake Township, Ohio, increasing the annual capacity of its Series 6 modules by 0.6 GW to 3.6 GW and will produce 3.5 GW of Series 7 modules per year. The production capacity has been increased to more than 7 GW and is expected to reach production in 2025.

Mark Widmar, CEO of First Solar, said that the passage of the US 2022 Inflation Reduction Act has strengthened the company's confidence in expanding domestic production. This expansion is an important step in achieving self-sufficiency in solar technology, which in turn supports US energy security. ambition.

It is reported that in addition to the manufacturing plant in Ohio, First Solar also has factories in Vietnam and Malaysia, and is building its first new manufacturing plant in India, which is scheduled to start operations in the second half of 2023. The company expects global annual manufacturing capacity to exceed 20 gigawatts by 2025, when completed in the U.S. and India.

The company said it also continued to innovate its processes and optimize the amount of semiconductor material used. Additionally, First Solar has implemented an advanced recycling program that enables materials to be reused in new modules.