With an initial capacity of two gigawatts of solar cells per year, the new plant in Colorado Springs, Colorado will exclusively supply Meyer Burger's solar module production in Goodyear, AZ, supporting the North American market. The company has selected a former semiconductor fabrication plant and entered into a long-term lease agreement at regional market conditions. Production is planned to start in the fourth quarter of 2024 and will directly create more than 350 jobs. The investment is supported by a tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act and related measures.
See also: Meyer Burger wins EU funding for a 3.5-gigawatt production increase
Further, the City of Colorado Springs and the State of Colorado are supporting the facility with almost 90 million US dollars, mainly in the form of tax credits, direct support and discounted electricity and water rates. In addition, prepayments from module off-take partners and a loan from the US Department of Energy (DoE) of more than 300 million US dollars are also anticipated to contribute to financing of Meyer Burger’s growth in the United States.
Expansion of German facilities postponed to a later stage
The accelerated manufacturing schedule in the US is made possible by redirecting production equipment originally intended for the previously announced two-gigawatt solar cell expansion at the Thalheim site in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany. This equipment will be installed at Colorado Springs facility in order to meet the planned completion date for the cell factory in 2024.
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A multi-gigawatt expansion in Thalheim is planned at a later stage as part of Meyer Burger’s successful application for the EU Innovation Fund. Favourable market conditions by ensuring a level playing field for European solar manufacturers through continued industry and market policy support in the EU are a prerequisite for such investments. (mfo)
