Silfab secures solar wafers from Norwegian manufacturer that’s also planning U.S. production

North American solar module company Silfab Solar has secured non-China PV wafer supply from NorSun, an experienced Norwegian ingot and wafer manufacturer. NorSun is planning to build a 5 GW ingot and wafer production facility in the USA.

The agreement continues Silfab’s strategic initiatives to onshore and strengthen its supply chain and increase domestic sourcing as it adds 1 GW of USA-made cell production and expand annual made-in-America module production by an additional 1.3 GW as early as mid-2024.

“This collaboration with NorSun to open wafer production in the United States adds strategic value to Silfab’s unwavering commitment to supply North America with domestically produced, high-performing solar panels,” says Paolo Maccario, CEO of Silfab.

With the support of the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), Silfab and now, NorSun, have a strong commitment to continue building the North American solar value chain to continue to supply the U.S. market with the most ethically sourced, highest-quality, top-performing solar panels for residential and commercial customers.

“The agreement with potential significant volumes fits well with our strategy to enter the U.S. market and to expand the NorSun production capacity,” says Erik Løkke-Øwre, CEO of NorSun.

The agreement allows Silfab to increase its share of U.S. and European-sourced “clean” wafers and to further lower the carbon footprint of its high-performance solar modules. NorSun recently raised $8.5 million (NOK 90 million) in new equity to further develop growth projects in the U.S. and Europe. Meanwhile, Silfab is utilizing a $125 million investment round to open its third U.S. facility to meet increasing demand for its high-performing, industry-leading PV modules and to begin manufacturing its own solar cells.