CPS says it will establish a solar glass manufacturing plant in the US with 4 GW annual capacity
This will be located in a repurposed factory for which it is also seeking a strategic manufacturing partner
In Canada, it is seeking $100 million in financial support for the 6 GW Selkirk plant
Canadian Premium Sand (CPS), the ‘only’ patterned solar glass supplier in North America, plans to establish a 4 GW solar glass manufacturing plant in the US. This will be in addition to its hydroelectricity-powered 6 GW low-carbon solar glass facility in Selkirk, Manitoba, Canada.
CPS says the decision for a US factory is based on the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) policy that incentivizes solar developers to use solar panels with domestic content.
Saying that the move is followed by its US customers expressing a desire for domestic solar glass supply, the company has now picked a site in the country after evaluating sites with existing and current buildings, utility supply, logistics infrastructure and environmental permits.
It will repurpose a former glass manufacturing facility in the US to produce 4 GW of solar glass annually. The company is currently in advanced discussions with a potential strategic glass manufacturing partner to jointly develop this site.
This helps CPS de-risk both the project development, as well as facility operations, it explained. The US factory will be managed by its wholly-owned US subsidiary launched for the purpose, CPS Glass USA Corp.
CPS now awaits the decision of the US Department of Energy on its Investment Tax Credit application, which is expected in Q1 2025.
Back home in Canada, the manufacturer is seeking $100 million in non-dilutive financial support for its 6 GW planned Selkirk factory in Manitoba (see It’s Selkirk For Canadian Premium Sand (CPS)).
It says the company’s low-iron sand deposit in Manitoba can support the capacity for both proposed factories with 10 GW combined capacity, for over 20 years.
With manufacturing operations in both Canada and the US, said CPS, each offering 2 distinct value propositions to its customers, the company is positioning itself to be the preferred supplier of solar glass, providing a complete solution to its customers in terms of low-carbon supply of solar glass from Selkirk, domestic content solar glass from the US fab, and onshoring of solar glass supply chain.
CPS already has off-take commitments from Hanwha, Heliene and Meyer Burger for its Selkirk solar glass factory (see Growing Solar Glass Demand In North America).