Hanwha Qcells has completed a key milestone in its U.S. expansion strategy by launching solar cell production at its new manufacturing facility in Cartersville, Georgia, creating a fully integrated solar manufacturing supply chain in the United States.
The company announced Tuesday that construction of the Cartersville plant has been completed and commercial production is set to begin next month. Solar modules manufactured using cells produced at the facility will be supplied to the U.S. market as part of Hanwha Qcells' growing domestic manufacturing network.
With the launch of cell production, Hanwha Qcells becomes the only solar company in the United States to operate a fully integrated solar manufacturing value chain spanning ingots, wafers, cells and modules.
The Cartersville facility represents the final phase of the company's "Solar Hub" initiative, a large-scale investment aimed at building a comprehensive solar manufacturing ecosystem in the U.S. The project enables Hanwha Qcells to localize production of the most critical components required for solar module manufacturing.
The company has completed equipment installation and testing and recently entered the commissioning phase ahead of full-scale operations.
Following the completion of the Cartersville plant, Hanwha Qcells' annual U.S. production capacity has expanded to 3.3 gigawatts (GW) each for ingots, wafers and cells. Total module production capacity has reached 8.6 GW, including 3.5 GW at the Cartersville facility and 5.1 GW at its Dalton, Georgia plant.
The company said the integrated manufacturing platform will enhance operational efficiency while reducing dependence on overseas supply chains, an increasingly important advantage amid growing efforts by the U.S. government to strengthen domestic clean-energy manufacturing.
Industry observers note that the project also positions Hanwha Qcells to maximize benefits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provides incentives for companies producing clean-energy components in the United States.
As cell and wafer production ramps up, Hanwha Qcells is expected to receive additional Advanced Manufacturing Production Credits (AMPC), further improving profitability. The company estimates it will receive approximately $675 million in AMPC benefits this year, with the amount projected to increase as production expands in the coming years.
The higher share of U.S.-made components is also expected to strengthen Hanwha Qcells' competitive position in the domestic market, where demand for locally manufactured products continues to grow among utilities, businesses and government customers.
Hanwha Qcells already holds a leading position in the U.S. solar industry. According to market research firm Wood Mackenzie, the company captured a 38.5% share of the U.S. residential solar module market last year, maintaining the No. 1 position for eight consecutive years. It also led the commercial solar module segment for a seventh straight year with a 15.5% market share.
Park Seung-duk, CEO of Hanwha Qcells, said the completion of the Solar Hub marks an important step in the company's long-term growth strategy.
"The completion of the Solar Hub is more than an expansion of manufacturing capacity," Park said. "It establishes a strategic foundation for Hanwha Qcells to evolve into a comprehensive renewable energy company and further strengthen its leadership in the global clean-energy market."
