Solar module manufacturer expanding Valley production after signing two agreements
Switzerland-based Meyer Burger Technology AG said it plans to expand production at its new solar module manufacturing plant in the Phoenix metro after it secured two big contracts.
In 2021, the European technology company chose a newly developed Goodyear warehouse to house its first U.S. production facility for solar modules and North American headquarters in 276,000 square feet of space with plans to employ 500 people.
Meyer Burger said in June that it will expand its production in Goodyear from 1.6 gigawatts to 2 gigawatts after initially announcing that its facility would total 1.5 gigawatts at full capacity. The expansion will occur within the building’s existing space.
The production expansion is a result of two agreements Meyer Burger announced with South Holland-based Ingka Investments, the investment arm of IKEA retailer Ingka Group, and Irvine, California-based BayWa r.e. Solar Projects LLC, a utility-scale solar developer in March and June, respectively.
Meyer Burger said its agreement with Ingka Investments covers the supply of solar modules produced in Goodyear that are delivered between 2025 and 2029. It said the modules will be produced on its new glass-to-glass product platform and optimized for utility-scale applications.
“This agreement is an excellent start, both for our ambitions to invest further in renewable energy production in the U.S. and for our partnership with Meyer Burger, a company with high ESG standards and a shared commitment to make significant contributions to decarbonization and the 1.5 degree target of the Paris Climate Agreement,” says Frederik de Jong, head of renewable energy at Ingka Investments, in a statement.
BayWa r.e., a global clean energy company, said it would partner with Meyer Burger to procure 1.25 gigawatts of solar modules at its Goodyear facility from 2025 to 2029. It said these modules will ensure a supply of domestically produced solar panels for its solar projects pipeline exceeding 9 gigawatts across the U.S.
“BayWa r.e. and Meyer Burger have a long history of working together to advance clean energy innovation and we look forward to continuing that relationship in the U.S.,” said Geoff Fallon, COO at BayWa r.e. Solar Projects LLC, in a statement.
Meyer Burger finalizing construction in Goodyear
Meyer Burger is currently finalizing construction of its Goodyear facility, which is located at 1685 S. Litchfield Road near the Phoenix Goodyear Airport. The solar maker said its facility will have capabilities to make solar modules for the residential, commercial and industrial rooftop and utility-scale applications with a previous goal to be operational by the end of 2022 with 250 jobs.
A spokesperson for Meyer Burger said Wednesday that it is currently preparing the facility for equipment delivery and operations by the end of the year, when it plans to install its first line and ramp up in Q2 2024. Its third line is expected to be operational by the end of 2024 after the second line is installed.
The company said employment has started and will “ramp up greatly” in 2024 to more than 400 employees, adding that it is currently working through visa requirements to bring expats from its German manufacturing plant to lead installation and commissioning in Goodyear.
The Center for American Progress, a public policy research and advocacy organization, reported that the previously delayed Meyer Burger solar panel production facility was moving forward in 2022 because of tax credits through the federal Inflation Reduction Act, which was signed into law in August 2022 and includes incentives for clean energy industries including solar.
The company also said in a letter to the Internal Revenue Service in November 2022 that the facility, once completed in 2024, will be the company’s single largest solar module manufacturing facility in the world, according to CAP.
Earlier this year, China-based JA Solar, another solar module manufacturer, announced plans to open a new factory in Phoenix in a 763,410-square-foot space and bring 600 new jobs to the area with an annual capacity of 2 gigawatts.