US based global solar tracker manufacturer Nextracker Inc has opened a new production line on the campus of Steel Dynamics, Inc (SDI) fab in Texas which is a new facility launched by steel maker JM Steel to ensure low-carbon tracker supply within the southern part of the country.
Nextracker did not disclose the capacity of its new production line at the 97,000 sq. ft. steel mill near Corpus Christi, but shared it will enable it to serve major markets via truck, railroads and a deep-water port on the inland waterway system. The company said this would help build a resilient and Made in the US supply chain close to solar power projects in the US.
Being collocated next to the steel mill will reduce the tracker manufacturer's costs on logistics and provide it control over prices, thereby improving sustainability of operations.
Nextracker Founder and CEO Dan Shugar explained, "We are migrating to domestic production to stabilize pricing and achieve superior on-time delivery for our customers. Moreover, US steel manufacturers like Steel Dynamics Incorporated (SDI) have a much cleaner, lower carbon production processes than most overseas manufacturers."
A division of Jennmar USA, JM Steel will deploy Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) technology that uses recycled or scrap steel as raw material to make steel for Nextracker, which would further reduce the overall carbon footprint for the latter.
In the face of increasing logistics supply issues and rising prices for raw materials, American solar PV products manufacturers are strengthening their supply chains. Recently First Solar picked Ice Industries to supply it steel back rails for its new 3.3 GW fab in Ohio for which the latter said it will establish a new Ohio facility by October 2022 for $9 million.
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