North American solar module manufacturer Heliene celebrated the expansion of its facility in Mountain Iron, Minnesota, which now boasts more than 500 MW of total annual capacity.

Heliene invested $21 million to expand the Mountain Iron campus to 95,000 sq. ft. The project increased the facility’s total annual capacity from 150 MW to 570 MW and created 60 new jobs.

Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith of Minnesota attended a ribbon-cutting celebration at the facility on Oct. 27.

“This project is about building an American supply chain for the solar panels that will power our transition to energy independence and a clean energy future,” Smith said.

Heliene’s new production line will focus on M6, M10, and M12-size super high-efficiency monocrystalline PERC cells.

The company began production in Mountain Iron in 2018. Heliene president Martin Pochtaruk announced plans this week to invest another $7 million over the next year to upgrade equipment at the original 150 MW facility, which will see its capacity increase to 300 MW.

The Factor This! podcast, recorded live from RE+ in Anaheim, analyzed the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act on domestic solar manufacturing. “The race is on to meet demand with made-in-America solar modules” featured Lightsourcebp Americas CEO Kevin Smith, Cypress Creek Renewables VP of Engineering Luke O’Dea, and Qcells North America Head of Market Strategy and Public Affairs Scott Moskowitz. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts!

While first announced in June 2021, Heliene’s Mountain Iron expansion project represents more positive momentum for U.S solar manufacturing since the Inflation Reduction Act became law.

Pochtaruk had been a vocal proponent of incentives for domestic manufacturing that were ultimately included in the historic climate law.