Singapore-headquartered Maxeon Solar Technologies has revealed Albuquerque, New Mexico as the location for its 1st US manufacturing expansion with 3 GW solar cell and 3 GW module manufacturing fab, with the capacity to roll out up to 8 million solar panels annually.    

Taking over $1 billion in investment, the New Mexico plant in Mesa Del Sol will produce the latest generation TOPCon PV-silicon cells and the company’s proprietary shingled-cell Performance Line solar modules. Maxeon targets both utility– scale as well as distributed generation rooftop applications.   

Construction on the site is scheduled to begin in Q1/2024 with commissioning in 2025, depending on a successful financial close under the US Department of Energy’s Title 17 Clean Energy Financing Program.  

Maxeon said the plant is expected to be the 1st large-scale PV cell and panel manufacturing facility in New Mexico, and its planned capacity is approximately double the size of the largest silicon solar manufacturing facility currently operating in the US. 

Citing strong customer demand and infrastructure availability on site, it may expand the fab to a nameplate 4.5 GW each of cell and module capacity. A decision is expected by 2023-end.    

“Thanks to the support of the Biden administration, the US is now poised to re-shore and scale up a domestic solar supply chain. This will enhance national energy security and create a new cadre of well-paying manufacturing jobs,” said Maxeon CEO Bill Mulligan pointing at the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).   

Maxeon currently also operates manufacturing facilities in Malaysia, the Philippines and Mexico (see Maxeon Expands Manufacturing Capacity).   

The company recently also announced its Q2/2023 financial results (see Singapore Company’s Q2/2023 Revenues Grew 46% YoY).