Solar module maker Heliene signed a multi-year contract to buy silicon wafers from NorSun’s planned factory in Tulsa, Oklahoma, pv magazine USA reported on August 15, 2024.
The deal
- The supply is meant to cover Heliene’s yearly wafer needs starting in 2026.
- NorSun plans a $620 million, 5-gigawatt ingot and wafer plant in Tulsa, expandable to 10 GW, with 320 jobs.
- Heliene will turn the wafers into cells at a new cell factory planned for the Minneapolis-St. Paul area.
- Heliene already makes modules in Mountain Iron, Minnesota, where it has two lines totaling about 800 MW.
Why wafers matter
Ingots and wafers are among the hardest parts of the solar chain to bring to the USA. A domestic wafer source would let Heliene build panels with far more USA content for the federal domestic content bonus.
“NorSun and Heliene are both dedicated to developing low carbon, domestically produced solutions based on sustainable value chains free of forced labor.”
Erik Løkke-Øwre, NorSun CEO
FAQ
Where will the wafers be made?
At NorSun’s planned plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
When does supply start?
In 2026, when the Tulsa plant is expected to begin production.
Where does Heliene make panels?
In Mountain Iron, Minnesota and in Ontario, Canada.
Source & credit
Source: pv magazine USA, August 15, 2024: “Heliene to procure U.S.-made solar wafers from NorSun”, by Anne Fischer.