Canadian module producer Heliene is planning an additional buildout of its US manufacturing base following the Inflation Discount Act (IRA), with plans in motions for an additional module line in addition to 1GW of cell capability, says its president Martin Pochtaruk.
Heliene at present has 450MW of PV module capability within the US and work is sort of full on its new 400MW manufacturing facility in Minnesota, which Pochtaruk stated is sort of completed with gear being introduced in and last touches being made to its workplace area. This will probably be formally open on 27 October in a ribbon chopping ceremony attended by Duluth Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Add onto this 250MW of capability in Canada, and this takes Heliene’s whole manufacturing capability to 1.1GW.
However that was earlier than the IRA, nevertheless. The corporate is now planning an additional buildout of US manufacturing because it seeks to benefit from the profitable help schemes contained throughout the Act. These have been designed to not solely encourage US PV manufacturing but in addition incentives for mission improvement that may drive up demand for modules.
Pochtaruk instructed PV Tech Premium that Heliene – which was in attendance at a White Home assembly to discover how the US might kickstart its PV manufacturing business – was planning to develop a 450MW-500MW manufacturing line in one other location within the US in direction of the top of 2023. It’s taking a look at totally different areas and concentrating on current buildings.
Furthermore, this will probably be accompanied by a 1GW-1.2GW photo voltaic cell facility for self-consumption that Pochtaruk says will make the corporate extra vertically built-in and guarantee a steady provide of US-made cells for its module manufacturing. It can nonetheless supply its additional upstream elements from ex-Xinjiang areas in China till extra US provide comes on-line.
In opposition to the backdrop of US import restriction because of the Division of Commerce’s investigation into alleged anti-dumping and circumvention of import commerce guidelines by photo voltaic producers in Southeast Asia, Heliene had seen demand for its modules skyrocket as US builders scrambled to safe North American-made modules, Pochtaruk beforehand instructed PV Tech.
And regardless of the restrictions being supplanted by President Joe Biden’s govt order waiving all anti-dumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) tariffs for 2 years, demand for Heliene’s merchandise has not diminished. Pochtaruk instructed this website that the corporate is at present offered out till 2024 and that it might prolong this additional if it was certain on the place the market can be.
As a substitute, it’s now “allocating capability”, quite than promoting it, which implies it’s getting into into contracts that may repair a worth for merchandise 120 days previous to supply. At that time, costs will probably be selected a cost-plus foundation, given no person is aware of the place inflation and delivery prices will probably be then, Pochtaruk explains.
Heliene just isn’t the one photo voltaic producer planning capability additions following the IRA. Notable bulletins have come out from Meyer Burger, Nextracker, First Photo voltaic, REC Silicon and Hanwha Resolution, to call however just a few.
