Module maker Heliene said it plans a $21 million investment in a new manufacturing facility located in Mountain Iron, Minnesota. The expansion, which was first reported by pv magazine in August, would bring the company’s total manufacturing capacity to 900 MW.
Construction is expected to start in September with manufacturing set to begin in June 2022. The expansion will enable Heliene to meet demand growth.
The manufacturing line will feature advanced automation technologies and is expected to create 40 jobs. Production will focus on solar modules with M6, M10 and M12 size Monocrystalline PERC cells.
The Minnesota Department of Employee and Economic Development and Iron Range Resources & Rehabilitation each provided a $2.75 million loan to a local economic development agency to support the expansion.
In addition, Heliene received a $5.5 million grant from the State of Minnesota’s Renewable Development Account, which funds projects that boost the state’s electrification and climate change abatement efforts. St. Louis County, where the Mountain Iron plant is located, awarded Heliene a $1 million grant as well.
In August, Heliene announced its third North American manufacturing facility located in Riviera Beach, Florida. The 75,000-square-foot facility is Heliene’s second in the U.S., and increases its manufacturing capacity by 100 MW. The company said it will begin production at the new facility in September, following upgrades to an existing solar production line previously operated by SolarTech Universal. Heliene operates other production lines in Ontario, Canada.
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