American solar manufacturer T1 Energy has begun construction on the first phase of its cell manufacturing plant in Texas. This project will add 2.1GW of cell manufacturing capacity to the United States’ growing solar production sector.
The facility, named G2 Austin, involves an investment of $400 to $425 million. T1 Energy expects the plant to commence commercial operations by the end of 2026. The company will produce TOPCon cells at this site and plans to expand its manufacturing capacity to 5.3GW through a second phase. It also noted that “this capacity figure could be further increased” if cell demand grows.
G2 Austin represents a $400-$425 million investment and is projected by T1 to begin commercial operation by late 2026.
The cells produced will be used for module assembly at T1 Energy’s G1 module manufacturing factory in Dallas. T1 acquired this factory from Trina Solar in December last year as part of its rebranding from Freyr Battery and strategic pivot from the energy storage sector to solar manufacturing.
The company has already seen strong demand for its module products, selling 725MW of modules in the third quarter of this year, generating sales of $200 to $210 million. The integration of cell manufacturing will expand a production line that increasingly utilizes domestically manufactured components.
