Dive Brief:
- Solar module makers Heliene and Premier Energies plan to build a joint solar cell facility in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, the companies announced in a joint July 25 release.
- The upcoming plant will create over 200 jobs and produce 1 gigawatt of N-Type cells annually, which are solar panels made with monocrystalline silicon with elements of phosphorus or arsenic added. The chemicals give the panels a negative charge, making them more efficient in turning sunlight into electricity.
- The new facility intends to address the growing demand for solar modules and projects spurred by the Inflation Reduction Act and its incentives for domestic solar cell production. A site location and investment amount have yet to be announced, but production is expected to begin in Q2 2026, Heliene CEO Martin Pochtaruk said in an email.
Dive Insight:
The joint venture builds on the solar cell makers' partnership that began in 2022, Pochtaruk said. Heliene currently sources its solar cells from Premier Energy’s facility in Hyderabad, India, to use in module production at its Mountain Iron, Minnesota, facility.
Solar cells produced at the joint Minnesota facility and other existing manufacturing operations will be IRA compliant, supporting developers seeking tax credits and incentives for their solar projects, according to the release.
Under the agreement, Heliene will provide construction, project management, human and financial resources and management, facility operations, supply chain, logistics and regulatory expertise.
Premier Energies will provide cell technology engineering and operational expertise in the cell manufacturing process, equipment selection, financial resources, raw material vendor relationships and supply agreements management.
“With demand for U.S.-made modules and components growing, now is the perfect time to embark on the next phase of our partnership with this joint venture,” Pochtaruk said in a statement.
Premier Energies is one of several companies Heliene has inked deals with in the past few months. On Thursday, Heliene signed a silicon wafer supplier agreement with NorSun, set to begin in 2026 when the latter’s upcoming $620 million facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is expected to begin production.
NorSun will deliver 5-gigawatt wafers from its Tulsa facility to Heliene and Premier Energies’s upcoming plant.
In May, Heliene signed a solar panel supply deal with commercial solar developer UGE, which will also help UGE qualify for IRA tax credits.
