Hanwha Q CELLS Korea announced Wednesday that it would build a solar module manufacturing facility in the U.S. state of Georgia.
Construction for the factory in Whitfield County will begin in 2018 and is scheduled for completion in 2019, according to a press release.
Although the Seoul-based company did not disclose the exact nameplate capacity of the new facility, it confirmed that it would exceed 1.6 gigawatts (GW) per year.
The manufactured modules will be provided to affiliate Hanwha Q CELLS Co. Ltd., which will have access to all of the facility’s production volume.
'The new manufacturing lab is testament to Hanwha Q CELLS Korea’s commitment to the U.S. market, in spite of the recently imposed trade barriers,' the statement said, referring to the blanket steel and aluminum tariffs announced by the White House in March.
The company underlined that the U.S. was one of its 'most important' markets, and it aimed to maintain its leading market position in the U.S. by delivering 'high quality PERC [Passivated Emitter Rear Cell] modules to the roof-top and ground-mounted segments' in the country.
'The new plant is expected to enable Hanwha Q CELLS Korea to widen its customer base in the U.S.,' the statement added.
Hanwha Q CELLS Korea is one of the biggest solar module manufacturers in the world with a manufacturing capacity of 8 GW as of the second half of 2017. It is also a leading solar cell manufacturer with a production capacity of 8 GW.
The company's global executive headquarters is based in Seoul, South Korea, and its technology and innovation headquarters is located in Thalheim, Germany with international manufacturing facilities in South Korea, Malaysia and China.
In March 2017, a consortium of Hanwha Q CELLS and Turkey's Kalyon Holding won the tender for Turkey's biggest solar power plant project - the Karapinar Renewable Energy Resources Zone Project in central Konya province.
According to Solar Power Europe, the U.S. was the second largest solar market globally in 2017.
By Hale Turkes
Anadolu Agency
energy@aa.com.tr