Swift Current Energy secures another 2 GW of First Solar modules
Boston-headquartered utility-scale solar developer, owner and operator Swift Current Energy signed a supply deal with First Solar for 2 GW of its thin-film solar modules in 2025 and 2026. This is Swift Current’s second GW-plus order for First Solar modules, having placed an order for 1.27 GW of First Solar modules earlier in the year.
“With the U.S. rapidly advancing its energy infrastructure, our project pipeline is growing and we’re focused on ensuring that our capacity comes online as planned,” said Eric Lammers CEO of Swift Current Energy. “Against this backdrop, it’s crucial that we work with partners like First Solar that will deliver not only high quality, responsibly-made products, but also certainty of supply. We are pleased to expand our partnership with First Solar and are proud to be supporting the growing clean energy manufacturing sector in the US.”
Founded in 2016, Swift Current has commercialized over 1 GW of renewable energy projects, including utility-scale solar and wind. The company also has a growing pipeline of over 9 GW of planned renewable assets across North America.
Designed and developed at its research and development (R&D) centers in California and Ohio, First Solar’s thin-film PV modules feature a layer of Cadmium Telluride (CadTel) semiconductor that is only three percent the thickness of a human hair. Additionally, the company continues to optimize the amount of semiconductor material used by enhancing its vapor deposition process through continued investment in R&D focused on more efficient module technology with a thinner semiconductor layer.
First Solar also operates an advanced recycling program that provides closed-loop semiconductor recovery for use in new modules.
First Solar is also expanding its manufacturing capacity at home and abroad. In addition to a third factory under construction in Ohio, the company recently announced an investment of up to $1.2 billion in expanding its Ohio manufacturing footprint and a new manufacturing facility, its fourth American manufacturing facility, in the US Southeast. This latest investment is expected to bring First Solar’s total investment in American manufacturing to $4 billion, while its annual US manufacturing capacity is forecast to expand to over 10 GW by 2025.
In addition to its Ohio manufacturing facilities, First Solar also operates factories in Vietnam and Malaysia, and is building its first new manufacturing facility in India, which is scheduled to begin operations in the second half of 2023. On completion of its expansion plans in the US and India, the company expects to have over 20 GWDC of annual global manufacturing capacity in 2025.
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