The order book of American solar module maker First Solar, Inc for its CdTe thin film modules is fast filling up with the latest 1.2 GW DC order coming from Boston based utility scale solar, wind and energy storage company Swift Current Energy.
First Solar will deliver the entire order in 2023 and 2024. Swift Current Energy counts a growing pipeline of over 6 GW and is majority owned by Buckeye Partners and Nala Renewables (see North America PV Snippets: Clearway, Wells, Morgan, Swift).
First Solar touts its designed and developed in the US tag for the order that happens to be Swift Current Energy's 'largest procurement yet'. However, the largest order for First Solar to date has been for 5.4 GW, placed by Lightsource bp and bp in November 2021 (see First Solar Bags Its Largest Module Order Ever).
The American module producer aims to double its nameplate manufacturing capacity to 16 GW by 2024. Currently, it is adding 3.3 GW capacity through a $680 million fab in Ohio as its 3rd facility in the US and already operates fabs in Ohio, Vietnam and Malaysia. This one is expected to come online in H1/2023. First Solar is also building a 3.3 GW fab in India that's scheduled to be commissioned in H2/2023 (see $500 Million Loan For India Solar Manufacturing).