SoftBank subsidiary SB Energy Global announced that it has placed a multi-year order for 1.5GW of First Solar’s ultra-low carbon thin-film solar modules, in order to help meet the demands of the company’s 4GW solar and storage development pipeline in the U.S.
This order is the second GW-scale transaction between SB Energy and First Solar, with SB previously ordering 1.7GW of First Solar modules for five utility-scale projects in Texas and California, which began construction in 2020. Of the 1.7GW of modules supplied, 1.4GW are currently installed on projects which have achieved commercial operation, and the remaining 0.4GW of projects from the original procurement are expected to reach commercial operations in the first half of 2022.
One of the completed projects is SB’s 418 MW Juno Solar project in Borden County, Texas, which was completed in September 2021 and has long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with a unit of Mitsui and the Lower Colorado River Authority.
Of the 400MW of supplied modules yet to be installed, 200MW worth will be used in the construction of the 200 MW Eiffel Solar project, set to be located in northeast Texas. Construction of this project is expected to kick off in the first half of 2022, with power delivery to Energy Transfer, which signed a 15-year PPA with SB Energy in September 2021. planned to start in January 2024.
All 1.5GW of the modules contained in the SB Energy’s order will be produced in First Solar’s Ohio manufacturing plant. The procurement also supports SB Energy’s plans to achieve 10GW of renewable energy and storage projects in operation or under construction by the end of 2025.
