DOE Approves $1.45 Billion Loan for Qcells’ Solar Manufacturing Expansion in Georgia

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has finalized a $1.45 billion loan guarantee for Hanwha Qcells, a leader in North American crystalline silicon solar manufacturing. This significant funding, provided by the Loan Programs Office (LPO), is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s initiative to bolster the domestic renewable energy industry and reduce reliance on foreign imports. The investment is aimed at expanding the solar supply chain in the United States, enhancing the country’s efforts to meet its climate and energy goals.

Major Expansion of Solar Manufacturing Capacity in Cartersville, Georgia
Qcells’ new facility in Cartersville, Georgia, represents a major leap forward in U.S. solar manufacturing. With a total investment of approximately $2.8 billion, this facility will become the largest ingot and wafer plant in the country. It will also be the first fully integrated silicon-based solar manufacturing plant to be built in the U.S. in over a decade. The plant will produce critical components such as ingots, wafers, solar cells, and finished panels, re-establishing key elements of the domestic solar supply chain that were previously reliant on foreign sources.

Job Creation and Economic Impact
Once operational, the new facility will have a production capacity of 3.3GW of solar panels annually, enough to power around 500,000 households in the U.S. Additionally, the project will play a pivotal role in reducing carbon emissions, with an expected reduction of more than 5 million tons of CO2 equivalent per year. The plant’s construction will create 1,200 jobs, while an estimated 1,650 full-time operational roles will be created upon its completion. The broader economic impact in the surrounding Bartow and Whitfield counties could generate an additional 6,800 indirect jobs, further boosting the local economy.

Strengthening U.S. Solar Independence
This new solar manufacturing facility will be crucial in reducing the U.S.’s dependence on imported solar components, particularly from China and Southeast Asia. It complements Qcells’ earlier investments in Dalton, Georgia, where the company expanded its manufacturing capacity to produce 5.1GW of solar panels annually. The Cartersville facility will surpass this capacity, further increasing domestic solar production and making a significant contribution to the country’s energy independence and sustainability targets.

Qcells also highlighted that this investment in solar manufacturing reflects their long-term commitment to creating a full solar supply chain in the U.S., resulting in thousands of American jobs and advancing progress towards energy independence. The DOE’s backing of the project further underscores the strategic importance of clean energy manufacturing in the country’s economic future.