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Released August 14, 2023 | SUGAR LAND
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Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Minnesota has seen a flurry of activity in its solar sector in recent weeks. In late July, Canadian solar panel developer Heliene Incorporated (Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) announced that it will expand its U.S. presence with a new plant in the St. Paul area. In addition, last week, Minnesota-headquartered utility Xcel Energy Incorporated (NASDAQ:XEL) (Minneapolis) issued request for proposals for the development of a large solar project to replace generation from a retiring coal-fired power plant in the state.
Heliene already makes panels at another Minnesota location, as well as Ontario. The new plant in the St. Paul area will manufacture both solar modules and the solar cells that compose them. The facility will have the capacity to produce about 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar cells per year and 1 GW of modules. The project involves renovating an existing vacant 300,000-square-foot facility and installing two production lines and supporting systems. The expansion will double Heliene's current module-production capacity. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Industrial Manufacturing Project Database can click here for more details on the project.
In an interview with news media, Heliene Chief Executive Officer Martin Pochtaruk said the project was made possible by an investment from Orion Infrastructure Capital (New York, New York), which provided $150 million in credit for the new facility and $5 million equity, marking Heliene's first equity raise.
Heliene is hoping to attract more customers with its increased U.S. production. To qualify for a 10% bonus tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act, 40% of the cost of a project's components must be sourced from the U.S. Heliene said it also will source other panel components from the U.S. in order to help customers qualify for the bonus credit.
But the new plant isn't all that Heliene is up to in Minnesota. The company is upgrading its existing solar module-production facility in Mountain Iron to increase production from 150 megawatts (MW) of modules per year to 300 MW. Construction on the project began recently, and it is expected to be completed by the end of next year. Subscribers can click here for more details.
Other movement in Minnesota's solar sector involves the construction of a large solar farm. Xcel Energy last week issued a request for proposals for the development of solar generation and/or energy storage to replace power from the retiring Allen S. King coal-fired plant in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, near the Wisconsin border. The plant began operations in 1958 and is set to retire in 2028.
Xcel is calling for 650 MW of solar generation and/or battery storage to be built in the vicinity of the King plant to not only meet but exceed the plant's 598 MW of retiring generating capacity. With the plant's location near the state border, portions of the project could potentially also be located in Wisconsin. The new solar facility will use the King plant's existing grid connections, minimizing the need for new connection infrastructure. While no timeline has been issued, Xcel says it hopes to begin commercial operations of the new project between 2027 and 2029. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Power Project Database can click here for more information.
Xcel already is at work on a similar project to replace generation from its retiring Sherburne County (Sherco) coal-fired plant, which, with a capacity exceeding 2,000 MW, is the largest power plant in the state. The plant's three generating units are set to retire in stages over the coming years, with the final unit planned to come offline in 2030, the year Xcel hopes to cease operations at all of its coal-fired plants.
The Sherco solar facility will be constructed in East and West blocks, which together will provide nameplate generation of more than 400 MW. Construction on the West Block has already begun, with work on the East Block set to begin later this year. The West Block is expected to be completed in 2024, after the first coal-fired unit has been retired, followed by the East Block the following year. Subscribers can learn by viewing the project reports on the East and West blocks. There may be more in store for the Sherco plant, as earlier this year, Xcel asked Minnesota regulators permission to construct 250 MW of additional solar generation at the site.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
Heliene already makes panels at another Minnesota location, as well as Ontario. The new plant in the St. Paul area will manufacture both solar modules and the solar cells that compose them. The facility will have the capacity to produce about 1.5 gigawatts (GW) of solar cells per year and 1 GW of modules. The project involves renovating an existing vacant 300,000-square-foot facility and installing two production lines and supporting systems. The expansion will double Heliene's current module-production capacity. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Industrial Manufacturing Project Database can click here for more details on the project.
In an interview with news media, Heliene Chief Executive Officer Martin Pochtaruk said the project was made possible by an investment from Orion Infrastructure Capital (New York, New York), which provided $150 million in credit for the new facility and $5 million equity, marking Heliene's first equity raise.
Heliene is hoping to attract more customers with its increased U.S. production. To qualify for a 10% bonus tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act, 40% of the cost of a project's components must be sourced from the U.S. Heliene said it also will source other panel components from the U.S. in order to help customers qualify for the bonus credit.
But the new plant isn't all that Heliene is up to in Minnesota. The company is upgrading its existing solar module-production facility in Mountain Iron to increase production from 150 megawatts (MW) of modules per year to 300 MW. Construction on the project began recently, and it is expected to be completed by the end of next year. Subscribers can click here for more details.
Other movement in Minnesota's solar sector involves the construction of a large solar farm. Xcel Energy last week issued a request for proposals for the development of solar generation and/or energy storage to replace power from the retiring Allen S. King coal-fired plant in Oak Park Heights, Minnesota, near the Wisconsin border. The plant began operations in 1958 and is set to retire in 2028.
Xcel is calling for 650 MW of solar generation and/or battery storage to be built in the vicinity of the King plant to not only meet but exceed the plant's 598 MW of retiring generating capacity. With the plant's location near the state border, portions of the project could potentially also be located in Wisconsin. The new solar facility will use the King plant's existing grid connections, minimizing the need for new connection infrastructure. While no timeline has been issued, Xcel says it hopes to begin commercial operations of the new project between 2027 and 2029. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Power Project Database can click here for more information.
Xcel already is at work on a similar project to replace generation from its retiring Sherburne County (Sherco) coal-fired plant, which, with a capacity exceeding 2,000 MW, is the largest power plant in the state. The plant's three generating units are set to retire in stages over the coming years, with the final unit planned to come offline in 2030, the year Xcel hopes to cease operations at all of its coal-fired plants.
The Sherco solar facility will be constructed in East and West blocks, which together will provide nameplate generation of more than 400 MW. Construction on the West Block has already begun, with work on the East Block set to begin later this year. The West Block is expected to be completed in 2024, after the first coal-fired unit has been retired, followed by the East Block the following year. Subscribers can learn by viewing the project reports on the East and West blocks. There may be more in store for the Sherco plant, as earlier this year, Xcel asked Minnesota regulators permission to construct 250 MW of additional solar generation at the site.
Subscribers to Industrial Info's GMI Database can click here to view reports for all of the projects discussed in this article and click here for the related plant profiles.
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, IIR is tracking over 200,000 current and future projects worth $17.8 trillion (USD).
