Heliene Reaches 900 MW Manufacturing Capacity with $21 Mn Facility Expansion

Heliene, a Customer-First provider of North American made solar modules,  announced a $21 million investment in a new manufacturing facility located in Mountain Iron, Minnesota, bringing the company’s total manufacturing capacity to 900 megawatts (MW). Heliene has experienced significant growth since starting its U.S. operations in Mountain Iron in 2017. 

Construction will commence this September, adjacent to the existing facility, with manufacturing set to begin in June 2022. The expansion will enable Heliene to meet accelerating solar demand while ensuring certainty and high quality of the U.S. solar supply chain, in alignment with the Biden Administration’s clean energy goals.

“The State of Minnesota is proud to collaborate with Heliene and the City of Mountain Iron to expand Minnesota’s largest solar panel manufacturer to bring jobs to the region. This is a good day for the Iron Range, and a good day for Minnesota’s clean energy economy,” said Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

The construction of a new building will expand the Mountain Iron campus to a total of 95,000 square feet and will bring an additional 60 high paying clean energy jobs to the area, further diversifying employment opportunities in the region. 

The manufacturing line will feature advanced automation technologies to enhance production efficiency, product quality and safety, while providing employees the opportunity to upskill, focus on higher order tasks and adapt to the Industry 4.0 era. Production will focus on the manufacturing of solar modules with M6, M10 and M12 size super high efficiency Monocrystalline PERC cells.

“Amid consistently strong solar demand and trade volatility, our customers seek peace of mind that they are receiving the highest quality, competitively priced solar modules exactly when and where they need them,” said Martin Pochtaruk, chief executive officer, Heliene.

 In addition, Heliene received a $5.5 million grant from the State of Minnesota’s Renewable Development Account, which funds projects that boost the state’s electrification and climate change abatement efforts. St. Louis County, where the Mountain Iron plant is located, awarded Heliene a $1 million grant as well.