NEWS

Key Takeaways

• Heliene and Premier enter a JV partnership for 1 GW n-type TOPCon cell fab in the US  

• It will supply both Heliene and Premier with US-made cells to cater to demand for local content in solar projects  

• Once realized, it will build the US’ solar PV value chain where the focus of new manufacturing announcements so far has primarily been on modules  

Bolstered by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Indian solar cell manufacturer Premier Energies and Canada-headquartered North American solar module manufacturer Heliene have revealed plans to establish a solar cell manufacturing factory in the US with 1 GW annual production capacity.  

The duo will execute this facility using n-type technology, through a joint venture (JV). The factory will meet Heliene’s US cell supply requirement as well as Premier’s, they added. The location, timeline and other details will be announced at a later date.  

“Cells produced at the new site and incorporated into existing US module manufacturing operations will also support developers seeking additional tax credits and incentives for their solar projects, including the lucrative domestic content bonus adder,” announced the companies.  

Heliene has been a long-term customer of Premier as it has been sourcing cells for its module manufacturing factory at Mountain Iron in Minnesota, US, from the latter’s Hyderabad-located fab in India. The Hyderabad fab is operated by Premier’s subsidiary Premier Energies Photovoltaic Private Limited (PEPPL).  

In March 2024, Heliene contracted Suniva for the supply of monocrystalline silicon solar cells with a 3-year timeline (see US & Canadian Solar PV Manufacturers Join Hands).  

In February 2024, Premier signed a letter of intent (LOI) with an American solar manufacturer to develop and operate a TOPCon cell fab, which it said may include the manufacture of solar modules in the US. However, in its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP), the management revealed that it sources a significant portion of the raw materials for cells and modules from China and other Southeast Asian nations. 

Under the JV agreement, Heliene will be responsible for the construction, project management, human resources, financial resources and management, facility operations, supply chain and logistics, and regulatory work.  

Premier brings to the table its cell technology engineering and operational expertise in cell manufacturing. It has taken up the responsibility for manufacturing equipment selection, financial resources, raw material vendor relationships and supply agreements management.   

Premier is also expanding its India manufacturing capacity with 4 GW TOPCon cell and 4 GW TOPCon module capacity plans in Hyderabad, Telangana.   

While most of the solar PV manufacturing plans announced in the US post the launch of the IRA have focused primarily on module manufacturing, the same enthusiasm is missing in building other aspects of the PV value chain from polysilicon to cells. Heliene and Premier JV should help build this capacity in the US.  

In April 2024, Boway Alloy announced plans to invest in a 2 GW TOPCon solar cell and 2 GW TOPCon module fab in the US (see Chinese Solar Manufacturer Plans TOPCon Production In US).