Thornova Solar, a US-based group company of China's Sunova Solar Technology, has ramped up its 1.5 GW solar module factory in Vietnam exclusively focused on the US market, while announcing plans to launch a new cell and module fab in the North American nation.
It seems to be making the most of the time till June 2024, post which solar cells and modules shipped to the US from Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia and Thailand will be subjected to anti-circumvention tariffs (see 24-Month Bridge For US Tariffs Remains).
From 2024, it plans to have a local presence in the US supplying locally produced cells and modules taking advantage of tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Thornova has not disclosed the location or the annual capacity of the proposed US fab.
Till then, it is from the Bac Ninh province located Vietnam fab that the manufacturer will supply its TOPCon and PERC modules with power ratings ranging from 415 W to 615 W for utility, commercial and residential segments in the US. Management says it follows US solar trade association SEIA's Solar Supply Chain Traceability Protocol for its modules (see SEIA Releases Tool For Supply Chain Transparency).
Its n-type TOPCon dual-glass modules use 156-cell configuration to produce up to 615 W output, while the PERC range is available in bifacial as well as dual-glass options, generating up to 560 W. Its product range also includes all-black modules of up to 460W.
"As a company, we are committed long term to the U.S. solar market and sustainability," said Thornova CEO William Sheng. "We want to help our customers be successful and have designed our Vietnam facility specifically to meet their needs today and tomorrow."
Thornova's parent Sunova Solar had a total operational global module production capacity of 10 GW till Q2/2023-end. In China's Sichuan, it is currently building a 20 GW n-type silicon wafer capacity.
Only recently, in June 2023, AD Green announced a 3 GW solar module fab in Vietnam's Thai Binh, with the US being a focus market (see New Solar Panel Production In Vietnam).