Jet Li, general manager of Runergy Alabama, said: “This factory not only brings new jobs and opportunities to the area but also represents our commitment to advancing renewable energy and supporting America’s clean energy goals. We couldn’t be prouder of our team’s hard work.”
The start of commercial operations at the plant comes only a few weeks after the commissioning of a 364MW solar PV plant in New Mexico from independent power producer (IPP) Enlight Renewable Energy, which used Runergy’s solar panels.
Last month, during the RE+ event in Anaheim, California, Runergy showcased its latest n-type modules, including the DH108N8B. The double-glass module features an all-black design with light weight and a maximum output power of 440W.
Outside of the US, the company has manufacturing plants in China, Thailand and Vietnam, covering the entire value chain, from polysilicon to modules. Runergy currently has a silicon-grade production capacity of 55,000 tons, polysilicon capacity of 130,000 tons, ingot pulling capacity of 7GW and wafer slicing capacity of 10GW. Most of the annual nameplate capacity comes from solar cells with 63GW, while its module production capacity is at 13GW.
As the company continues to expand its manufacturing capacity in the US, earlier this year fellow Chinese solar manufacturer Tongwei announced plans to sign a ‘Capital Increase Intention Agreement’ with Runergy to acquire a controlling interest in the latter.
As part of the deal, the Jiangsu Yueda Group plans to increase its investment in Runergy by RMB1 billion (US$142 million).
After completing due diligence, as well as an audit and evaluation of Runergy, Tongwei will add to its investment in Runergy with its own or self-raised funds, and acquire the equity of Runergy obtained by Yueda Group in cash, so as to obtain a total equity in Runergy of no less than 51%.
Once the operation completed, Runergy would become a subsidiary of Tongwei, with the transaction expected to be up to RMB5 billion.
