Minnesota-based solar panel manufacturer Heliene announced last month that it would partner with Premier Energies to produce silicon solar cells within the state, and now the company has established a domestic wafer supply after signing a multi-year contract with NorSun.
NorSun, which has been producing silicon wafers in Norway since 2007, plans to start a 5 GW wafer factory in Tulsa, Oklahoma, which should begin production in 2026. Heliene expects its cell plant in Minnesota to reach an annual capacity of 1 GW, with a start date to be announced.
“By partnering with NorSun and incorporating wafers produced at their new Tulsa facility into our modules, we can significantly increase the impact of a friendly supply chain,” said Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of Heliene. “NorSun and Heliene share a commitment to building a sustainable, low-carbon solar supply chain in the US and offering high-quality, reliable, sustainable products with domestic content. We are incredibly proud to enter into this partnership and look forward to shaping the future of the domestic solar manufacturing landscape together.”
NorSun also has an agreement with Silfab to purchase its domestic wafers for use in Silfab’s under-construction solar cell plant in South Carolina.
“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 marks the close collaboration with Heliene, aimed at supplying high-quality solar panels to the American market. NorSun and Heliene are both committed to developing low-carbon, domestically produced solutions based on sustainable value chains, free from forced labor. In the months leading up to final decisions in late 2024, it is now important that further policy action is taken to regulate the US market to ensure the IRA program can have its full effect.”
