Canada-headquartered solar PV manufacturer Canadian Solar has announced that it is building a solar PV wafer production facility in Thailand with 5 GW annual capacity to use for its existing TOPCon solar cell production in the country. Later, it will cater to the company's US fab.
The Chonburi located 5 GW wafer fab is scheduled to come online in March 2024 and feed the manufacturer's TOPCon cell manufacturing plant at the same location.
Later, the wafer supply from Thailand will be directed to the company's 5 GW solar cell factory in Indiana, US once it is online at the end of 2025. Cells produced at the Indiana location in turn are planned to be used for Canadian Solar's 5 GW module factory in Texas, US (see Canadian Solar Announces Solar Cell Fab In The US).
The strategic move is aimed at meeting the new requirements related to the latest and adjusted AD/CVD ruling by the US Department of Commerce, according to the management. The manufacturer was named as one of the 5 companies dodging anti-circumvention tariffs under the US Commerce Department's final determination into the circumvention investigation (see US Circumvention Investigation Comes To A Close).
"Establishing this solar wafer factory in Thailand is a key milestone that will enable us to better serve our US customers with a more diversified and resilient supply chain, complementing our recently announced investments in the US in solar cell and solar module manufacturing," said Canadian Solar's Senior Vice President Thomas Koerner.