News

Heliene adds another infinity stone to its domestic solar supply gauntlet

Heliene adds another infinity stone to its domestic solar supply gauntlet
Heliene CEO Martin Pochtaruk and Norsun CCO Carsten Rohr sign their new partnership (courtesy: Heliene)

In the Marvel cinematic universe, the immensely powerful gem-like infinity stones embody space, mind, reality, power, time, and soul. If each represented a part of the solar supply chain (bear with me), they’d be polysilicon, ingots, wafers, cells, and modules… And Heliene just got its Minnesotan mitts on another crucial element of the gauntlet.

North American solar module manufacturer Heliene has entered into a multi-year contract with NorSun to supply Heliene with U.S.-made silicon wafers starting in 2026.

NorSun, currently recognized as the last-standing ingot and wafer producer in the Western Hemisphere, will deliver the goods from its planned 5 GW wafer factory in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which is expected to open in 2026, to Heliene’s upcoming cell factory near Minneapolis-St. Paul. Heliene and Premier Energies, India’s second-largest solar cell manufacturing company, announced that joint venture last month– one which will produce an annual aggregate capacity of 1 GW NTyp cells to supply Heliene’s U.S. cell requirement in addition to Premier’s.

Ingot and wafer production is the weakest (and most vulnerable) part of the United States domestic solar supply chain, thanks to China dominating that sector. A recent European Solar PV Industry Alliance report indicates China possesses almost 97% of the global production capacity for silicon wafers.

Submit a case study! We want to hear about what you’re working on. Submit a case study with the chance to be featured in Renewable Energy World. 

Polysilicon is currently only produced by a handful of companies in the United States: Hemlock Semiconductor in Michigan, Wacker Chemie in Tennessee, and REC Silicon in Washington state. Last year, REC Silicon restarted its Moses Lake polysilicon plant, but had issues ramping up production and missed initial shipment targets for Q1 2024. In February of this year, REC Silicon announced plans to wind down polysilicon production operations at its Butte, Montana facility.

NorSun, which has been making wafers in Norway since 2007 with local polysilicon supply, believes that entry into this contract with Heliene will result in taking a leading role in rebuilding this critical part of the US PV value chain.

“NorSun is honored to partner with Heliene to supply our wafers for their high-performance solar cells and modules,” said Erik Løkke-Øwre, CEO of NorSun. “The contract signifies the close collaboration with Heliene aimed at delivering premium solar modules to the US market. NorSun and Heliene are both dedicated to developing low-carbon, domestically produced solutions based on sustainable value chains free of forced labor. In the months leading up to final decisions at the end of 2024 it is now important that further policy measures are taken to regulate the US market to make sure the IRA program can take full effect.”

Both companies are moving forward with their respective U.S. plant construction projects and expect to break ground later this year, pending final stakeholder approvals.

“Partnering with NorSun and incorporating wafers produced at their new Tulsa facility into our modules will enable us to greatly expand the impact of a friend-shored supply chain,” added Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of Heliene. “NorSun and Heliene share a commitment to building a sustainable, low-carbon US solar supply chain and offering customers high-quality, reliable domestic content sustainable products. We are incredibly proud to embark on this partnership and look forward to shaping the future of the domestic solar manufacturing landscape together.”

Earlier this year, Heliene and solar cell manufacturer Suniva announced a three-year strategic sourcing contract to produce the first “made in the U.S.A.” PV module eligible for domestic tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act. Heliene said it would incorporate Suniva’s U.S.-made solar cells into its U.S.-made solar modules, with market availability beginning in mid-2024.

Suniva, which claims to be the largest and oldest U.S. manufacturer of high-efficiency monocrystalline silicon solar cells, was inoperative since 2017. The company announced a restart of its manufacturing operations in Georgia last fall.

In April, Excelsior Energy Capital, a renewable energy infrastructure investor, announced a multiyear agreement to acquire 2.0 GW of photovoltaic modules from Heliene, with the majority produced in the United States.