Heliene Launches First U.S. Solar Cell Factory in South Carolina

Heliene Advances U.S. Solar Industry with New South Carolina Manufacturing Plant In a significant move toward establishing a self-reliant solar supply chain, Canadian solar manufacturer Heliene has announced the launch of its first U.S.-based solar cell production facility in South Carolina. Located in Mountain Creek, this new plant aims to diminish dependence on foreign suppliers and align with the Biden administration's clean energy objectives. The facility, which began operations recently, is a strategic response to the incentives provided by the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), encouraging domestic manufacturing of solar components through tax benefits. Heliene’s South Carolina plant will focus on producing photovoltaic (PV) solar cells, a crucial element in solar panels, which were predominantly imported in the past. Expected to generate approximately 100 high-skilled jobs initially, with potential for growth, the plant boasts an annual capacity of up to 1 gigawatt of solar cells—sufficient to power over 150,000 homes. This development complements Heliene’s existing module assembly plant in Minnesota, creating a vertically integrated supply chain by sourcing domestically prod...