Hanwha Solutions makes $160.47 million investment in REC Silicon to secure low-carbon polysilicon in the U.S

• Hanwha Solutions Corporation, which operates complete energy solutions provider Qcells, agrees to purchase 16.67% stake in REC Silicon ASA for $160.47 million. This investment aims to secure the supply of key photovoltaic raw materials to meet growing U.S. demand for domestically manufactured solar products. Additional investments are expected upon passage and implementation of Senator Jon Ossoff and Senator Raphael Warnock’s Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act, coupled with smart trade and procurement policy.

[Seoul, South Korea, November 18, 2021] Hanwha Solutions (or “the Company”) today announced a strategic investment in polysilicon manufacturer REC Silicon ASA (“REC Silicon”) to secure low-carbon photovoltaic materials amid growing demand for renewable energy in the United States.

The Company, which operates total energy solution provider Qcells, said it agreed to purchase a 16.67% stake in REC Silicon for $160.47 million, becoming a co-leading shareholder of the polysilicon manufacturer with Aker Horizons, a Norway-headquartered investment firm focused on renewable energy.

Qcells is already the leading solar module manufacturer in the United States thanks to its 1.7-gigawatt factory in Dalton, Georgia that employs 700 workers. This announcement will pave the way for the Company to make further investments throughout the solar value chain in the U.S.

REC Silicon operates two polysilicon manufacturing facilities in the U.S., with an annual production capacity of 20,000 MT: 18,000 at Moses Lake, Washington, and 2,000 at Butte, Montana. Using hydropower-based clean energy, REC Silicon can produce low-cost polysilicon without emitting greenhouse gases.

Hanwha Solutions weighing further U.S. investment

This investment is intended as the next step in the creation of a comprehensive U.S. solar value chain, from production of polysilicon to fully assembled solar modules.

Key to these investments is Senator Jon Ossoff and Senator Raphael Warnock’s Solar Energy Manufacturing for America Act (SEMA), which is a production-based tax credit designed to incentivize manufacturing at all steps of the solar supply chain including polysilicon, wafers, cells, and modules. Equally important is smart trade, procurement, and environmental policy. Qcells initial U.S. manufacturing investment came in 2018 after introduction of the Section 201 solar safeguard.

“Most US-based polysilicon manufacturers have halted their production for solar-grade polysilicon, including REC Silicon at Moses Lake. Signing SEMA into law and leveraging smart trade and other federal policies will boost solar manufacturing in the United States,” said a Hanwha Solutions spokesperson. “Capitalizing on our expertise in polysilicon production, we will reopen the Moses Lake facility and jumpstart REC Silicon production”

With the Biden administration pledging to create a net-zero economy by 2050 and use a whole-of-government approach to invest in critical manufacturing sectors like solar, the Company expects its investment in REC Silicon will help to meet the dramatically growing demand for solar panels. The administration has announced that it hopes to increase solar’s share of electricity generation in the United States to 40 percent by 2035.

Taking the administration’s goals as an opportunity, the Company seeks to maintain its top market share in the U.S. According to the latest Wood Mackenzie Power & Renewables report, Qcells has a 22% market share in the U.S. commercial solar module market, marking two consecutive years as No.1 supplier. Qcells has also maintained its leading position in the U.S. residential solar markets for three consecutive years, with a 25% market share to-date in 2021. The Company is also a leading supplier to the utility solar sector.

“Expanding renewable energy is inevitable, given global efforts to combat climate change,” added the Hanwha Solutions spokesperson. “Focusing on the U.S., Korea, Europe and other dynamic solar markets, we will expand our investments to meet the growing demand for renewable energy.”

About Qcells

Qcells is one of the world’s largest and most recognized photovoltaic manufacturers for its high-performance, high-quality solar cells and modules. It is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea (Global Executive HQ) and Thalheim, Germany (Technology & Innovation HQ) with its diverse international manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Malaysia, China, and South Korea. Qcells offers the full spectrum of photovoltaic products, applications and solutions, from cells and modules to kits to systems to large-scale solar power plants. Through its growing global business network spanning Europe, North America, Asia, South America, Africa and the Middle East, Qcells provides excellent services and long-term partnerships to its customers in the utility, commercial, governmental and residential markets. For more information, visit: http://www.q-cells.com

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Contact

Hanwha Q CELLS GmbH
Corporate Communications
Jochen Endle, Ian Clover
E-mail: presse@q-cells.com

Q CELLS North America
Media
Adam Bestrom
E-mail: media@us.q-cells.com