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(Photo= Yonhap news) |
[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Minyoung] The U.S. government has decided to provide financial support of approximately 2 trillion won to Hanwha Q Cells for the construction of its solar manufacturing complex in Georgia.
According to an AP report on the 8th (local time), the U.S. Department of Energy announced that it will offer a conditional loan of $1.45 billion (about 1.9952 trillion won) to assist in the construction of Hanwha Q Cells' solar facility in Georgia.
The financial support from the Department of Energy is conditional, but Hanwha Q Cells is confident that it can meet the required conditions.
Last January, Hanwha announced a $2.2 billion investment plan to establish a solar manufacturing complex in Cartersville, Georgia. The facility is designed to handle all key stages of solar panel production, from ingots and wafers to cells and modules.
Jigar Shah, Director of the Department of Energy’s Loan Programs Office, emphasized the significance of this loan, stating to the AP, "This loan is special because it’s for one of the first facilities to manufacture not just modules, but also cells and wafers. We are bringing more of the supply chain to the U.S."
Hanwha Q Cells began assembling modules at the integrated production complex in April this year, aiming to produce 3.3 GW of solar panels annually. The company plans to complete the cell and wafer production segments by December of this year.
The Department of Energy anticipates that this complex will become the largest solar ingot and wafer factory in the U.S. The current workforce of 750 is expected to grow to 2,000 upon completion.
Alphabiz Kim Minyoung (kimmy@alphabiz.co.kr)
