New Delhi: Solar module maker Waaree Energies announced on Thursday its plans to build a 3 GW solar module manufacturing facility at Brookshire in the US. The facility will have the initial capacity to manufacture 3 gigawatts (GW) of solar modules annually by the end of 2024, a company statement said. Waaree will establish its first US manufacturing facility in the Houston area, it added.
Waaree plans to invest up to USD 1 billion over the next four years to scale its annual module manufacturing production up to 5 GW by 2027, making it one of the largest solar module manufacturing facilities in the US, it stated. Waaree will also add an integrated US-made solar cell facility that is expected to be operational by 2025.
In total, Waaree’s new facility is expected to create over 1,500 total jobs in the US when at full capacity, it stated. Waaree already has a major presence in the US solar market. Till date, Waaree has supplied over 4 GW of modules from its current Indian facility to US customers.
Waaree’s ambitious US expansion benefits from the long-term supply agreement with SB Energy, a leading climate infrastructure and technology platform with over 2 GW of solar in operations, 1 GW in construction, and another 15 GW+ of solar and storage in development across the US.
Waaree will supply multi-GWs of solar modules to SB Energy over the next 5 years following the commissioning of the facility which is expected to be set up in 2024. The deal further enhances SB Energy’s leadership in the domestic supply chain and ensures the availability of modules for a growing pipeline of projects.
"We are proud of this significant commitment by Waaree to US domestic solar manufacturing," said Waaree Chairman and Managing Director Hitesh Doshi. “In partnership with a company of SB Energy’s mission and stature, Waaree is fostering a solar manufacturing ecosystem in Texas, a state that has taken a leading position in clean energy manufacturing, Doshi added.