Norwegian manufacturer of silicon wafers NorZon has announced that it will build a new 5 GW silicon ingot and wafer manufacturing facility in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The company is investing $620 million in the site Owned by Tulsa International Airport. The factory should create 320 direct jobs.
“Our business plan has an ambitious timeline, so we knew we needed a partner that can work quickly and efficiently to meet the critical need for American-made energy,” said Erik Løkke-Øwre, CEO of NorSun. “Oklahoma impressed us even before our selection process: its robust clean energy programs, manufacturing ecosystem and workforce development were already on our radar, and its competitive business offering and location acceleration options strengthened our decision.”
NorSun has identified a green area of approximately 60 hectares. Construction is expected to begin in late 2024, subject to approvals, necessary permits and final incentive agreements.
Ingot and wafer production is expected to come online in 2026, making the Oklahoma facility one of the first in the United States to produce the crucial product in the solar panel supply chain. If desired, the Tulsa location could potentially expand production to 10 GW.
The only other billet and wafer manufacturing site in the United States that has made any real progress is the Qcells wiper plant nearing completion in Cartersville, Georgia. The Qcells site is expected to have a production capacity of 3.3 GW, all of which will be used internally for Qcells solar panels.
NorSun has already found one buyer of its domestic wafers. Silfab said it would use the wafers for use in its currently under-assessment solar cell plant in South Carolina.
Last year, Enel North America and 3Sun USA announced plans to start a 3 GW solar plant in Oklahoma as well, although there appears to be no progress on construction.
