Silfab Solar, a North American leader in photo-voltaic (PV) module manufacturing, and NorSun, an experienced Norwegian ingot and wafer manufacturer, have signed a memorandum of understanding to supply a clean source of Western-produced silicon wafers.
The agreement continues Silfab’s strategic initiatives to onshore and strengthen its supply chain and increase domestic sourcing as it adds 1 gigawatt (GW) of USA-made cell production and expand annual made-in-America module production by an additional 1.3 gigawatts as early as mid-2024. NorSun is planning to build a 5 GW ingot and wafer production facility in the USA. With the support of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Silfab and now, NorSun, have a strong commitment to continue building the North American solar value chain to continue to supply the U.S. market with the most ethically sourced, highest-quality, top-performing solar panels for residential and commercial customers.
“NorSun is a leader in wafer production not sourced from China and provides Silfab a vital component that further strengthens the independence of our U.S. supply chain and leadership position for innovation and quality solar products,” says Paolo Maccario, CEO of Silfab. “This collaboration with NorSun to open wafer production in the United States adds strategic value to Silfab’s unwavering commitment to supply North America with domestically produced, high-performing solar panels.”
“We are very pleased to enter into this agreement with Silfab and share the long-term ambition to build a competitive Western PV value chain. The agreement with potential significant volumes fits well with our strategy to enter the U.S. market and to expand the NorSun production capacity. As a leading PV wafer producer in the western world, NorSun’s ambition is to play an instrumental role in the U.S. and European efforts to rebuild the PV value chain. It will be exiting to go this route with a recognized player like Silfab in the U.S. and Canada,” says Erik Løkke-Øwre, CEO of NorSun.
The agreement allows Silfab to increase its share of U.S. and European-sourced “clean” wafers and to further lower the carbon footprint of its high-performance solar modules. NorSun recently raised $8.5 million (NOK 90 million) in new equity to further develop growth projects in the U.S. and Europe. Meanwhile, Silfab is utilizing a $125 million investment round to open its third U.S. facility to meet increasing demand for its high-performing, industry-leading PV modules and to begin manufacturing its own solar cells.
