Solar module supplier Heliene Inc. has opened a new line of production at its manufacturing plant in Rogers, Minnesota.
Beginning of operations on Minnesota Line 3 will increase output by 500 MW in annual capacity, the company says. Heliene owns and operates another 800 MW in production capacity with its first two lines in Mountain Iron, Minnesota.
“Heliene is experiencing continued demand for our high-quality, high-domestic content solar PV modules,” said Martin Pochtaruk, CEO of Heliene, in a statement. “By nearly doubling our manufacturing capacity at our new Rogers, Minnesota facility, we can continue to provide best-in-class fully domestic content products and service to our customers, while we deliver on our broader goal of onshoring U.S. solar supply chains, by incorporating domestically produced, cells, frames, polymers and other critical components.”
The company employs more than 220 workers in the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area to support operations, maintenance, and engineering at the new facility.
Two years ago, Heliene announced it was spending close to $145 million to build out the manufacturing facilities. In September 2023, community solar developer Nexamp announced it was ordering 1.5 GW in solar modules from the Minnesota facility.
Heliene has secured $2.3 million in funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), with specific funding from the Minnesota Investment Fund (MIF), Minnesota Job Creation Fund (JCF) and the Minnesota Job Skills Partnership (MJSP), to support the job creation.
Heliene produces bifacial, crystalline solar PV modules with a high percentage of domestic content available on the market across all its U.S. manufacturing lines.
