From pv magazine global
Zhejiang-based solar panel maker Hounen Solar says it will invest $33 million through its U.S. subsidiary to acquire a factory building in Orangeburg, in South Carolina.
The governor’s office of South Carolina has confirmed Hounen’s plans. The company says the building will host 1 GW of solar module production lines.
“Our new solar panel production plant will enable us to produce monocrystalline silicon PV panels for the U.S. market.” said Hounen CEO Jufang Ly. “We are grateful for the help and support of the South Carolina team and look forward to additional business opportunities in the state.”
Hounen Solar says the new factory will create 200 new jobs. It is the third Chinese manufacturer to announce a new solar module factory in the United States since the introduction of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).
Earlier this week, Longi Solar and US solar project developer Invenergy agreed to jointly construct a 5 GW solar panel factory in Pataskala, Ohio, via a newly founded company, Illuminate USA. A press release from Illuminate USA says the plan will cost $220 million. Invenergy said it has invested $600 million in the facility.
In January, Chinese panel maker JA Solar unveiled a plan to build a 2 GW PV panel factory in the U.S. state of Arizona. The solar cell and module maker said in a statement that it has already leased land for the manufacturing facility at an unspecified location in Phoenix, Arizona. The factory is expected to start commercial operations in the fourth quarter of this year, it said, adding that it will lead to the creation of 600 new jobs.
