Yet another US module production plan has been announced after the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) was announced by the government in August. This time it is Seraphim Energy Group (SEG) that says it will establish a new solar PV module manufacturing plant here with more than 2 GW high efficiency n-type TOPCon annual production capacity.
"The modules produced at this facility will be "Assembled in the US" and may also be eligible for certain other certifications," stated SEG Solar.
SEG Solar CEO Jim Wood said it was excited to be entering the US manufacturing market at this time with the government including incentives for solar manufacturing in the IRA and current legislative climate in the country.
"The development of this facility is the next step in SEG's long-term product localization strategy designed to better serve customers in the United States," added Wood.
The new fab in Houston, Texas will roll out large format solar modules using 182mm or 210mm wafer sized solar cells through 3 state-of-the-art production lines. It is planned to enter construction at the end of 2022, and become fully operational by mid-2023.
California, US based SEG Solar currently supplies modules to the US market from its 750 MW fab in Vietnam. In October 2021, it announced expansion of its Cambodian module production capacity to 500 MW (see Solar Panel Production In Cambodia). According to its website, the Chinese Seraphim Group has a global production capacity of 7.5 GW and serves worldwide customers. By the end of 2021, 14 GW Seraphim's products have been shipped to over 40 countries, it said.
SEG plans to source all the components and materials from local US based suppliers thus making it eligible to qualify for local content incentives while avoiding trade tariffs.
Explaining the rationale behind the decision, SEG said the fab will give the company 'more control over the supply chain and simplify transportation logistics'. It will be able to provide competitive pricing and on time delivery to customers.
Since its founding in 2016, SEG has supplied modules for over 1.2 GW of PV projects in the US, and aims to ship more than 2 GW annually by the end of 2023. The company says its modules are designed specifically for the US and European markets and are produced outside of China.