Hanwha Solutions Qcells Division (Hanwha Qcells), a global leader in complete clean energy solutions, has finalized the construction of a 3.3 gigawatt (GW) module production line at its Cartersville factory in Georgia, U.S. Following trial operations, the new line began the commercial manufacturing of modules in April, solidifying Hanwha Qcells’ position as the largest crystalline silicon solar module manufacturers in the U.S.
The Cartersville factory — one of the pillars of Hanwha Qcells’ U.S.-based integrated solar power production complex, the Solar Hub — plans to expand its annual manufacturing capacity of ingots, wafers, cells, and modules to 3.3 GW next year. The Dalton factory, another key axis of Solar Hub, completed its expansion at the end of last year, tripling module production capacity from 1.7 GW to 5.1 GW per year. The two factories will increase Hanwha Qcells’ total annual production capacity of modules to 8.4 GW — enough to generate the electricity required to power 1.3 million households in the U.S. for a year.
“With the successful commencement of module production at the Cartersville factory, Hanwha Qcells’ solar integrated production complex, Solar Hub, is taking shape at a steady pace,” said Justin Lee, CEO of Hanwha Qcells. “We will continue to enhance manufacturing capacity and expand into the renewable energy sector, reinforcing our leading position in key strategic markets, including the U.S.”
Once the Cartersville factory is fully operational in 2025, Hanwha will be the only company in North America to produce all the key components across the solar supply chain. With the new and expanded U.S. factories and more streamlined module manufacturing, Hanwha Qcells’ global annual production capacity will reach 3.3 GW of ingots and wafers, 12.2 GW of cells, and 11.2 GW of modules as of next year. The integrated production lines are expected to reduce logistics costs and improve efficiency.
Hanwha Solutions became the largest shareholder of REC Silicon in 2022, and signed a 10-year purchase contract with the company to be supplied with polysilicon produced using hydropower-based clean energy. Hanwha Qcells will also receive encapsulant film ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) from the Hanwha Advanced Materials Georgia (HAGA) facility that is being built near its Cartersville factory.
