(Canadian Solar, 15.Jun.2023) — Canadian Solar Inc. (NASDAQ: CSIQ), headquartered in Guelph, Ontario, is establishing a solar PV module production facility in Mesquite, Texas.
Canadian Solar is building a state-of-the-art solar photovoltaic module manufacturing plant with an annual output of 5 GW, equivalent to approximately 20,000 high-power modules per day. The new facility represents an investment of over $250mn and will create approximately 1,500 skilled jobs once it is fully ramped up. Production is expected to begin around the end of 2023. This will be Canadian Solar’s first United States manufacturing facility, following its successful track record of production in Canada, China, Brazil, Thailand and Vietnam. In 2021, Canadian Solar relocated Recurrent Energy, its 17-year-old U.S. subsidiary, to Austin, spearheading the rapid growth of renewable energy in the Lone Star State as a solar and battery storage project developer.
“Canadian Solar’s new $250mn manufacturing plant in Mesquite will bolster Texas’ status as the energy capital of the world and secure our leadership as a global tech hub,” said Governor Greg Abbott. “I thank Canadian Solar for choosing Texas for their next U.S. business investment and for creating 1,500 new jobs in the region to help boost the community for generations to come.”
U.S. Senator Ted Cruz expressed his enthusiasm for the project stating, “Texas is an energy production powerhouse, and we embrace an all-of-the-above energy strategy. It’s great to see this incredible investment in Mesquite, which will create 1,500 good-paying jobs in Texas. This kind of investment in the Lone Star State is the reason people are flocking to our great state. I will continue to fight for Texas innovators and job creators in the U.S. Senate.”
Mesquite Mayor Daniel Aleman, Jr. added, “We are very proud to have a company like Canadian Solar in Mesquite and appreciate their investment in our city. We look forward to a great partnership with them and the impact they will make on our community.”
Emphasizing the importance of this new facility, Dr. Shawn Qu, founder and CEO of Canadian Solar, said, “Establishing this factory is a key milestone that will enable us to better serve our U.S. customers with the most advanced technology in the industry. We hope that this is the first of many long-term investments we expect to make in the U.S. as we think strategically about a sustainable and resilient clean energy supply chain. We thank the State of Texas, Dallas County, and the City of Mesquite for their critical support and we look forward to working with them as we grow.”
Technology
Canadian Solar is a leader in the development and commercialization of the novel Tunnel Oxide Passivated Contact (TOPCon) solar cell technology, which will be deployed in the modules produced at the Mesquite facility. TOPCon cells have the highest efficiency in commercial solar PV technology and are highly optimized in bifacial modules, generating energy from both the front and the rear of the solar cell. The deployment of the latest TOPCon technology in the U.S. will help reduce consumers’ electricity bills and further contribute towards decarbonizing the energy grid.
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