Enel 3GW Solar Panel And Cell Factory Located in Oklahoma, USA

Enel North America has announced that it has selected Oklahoma as the site for its new solar cell and manufacturing plant. The plant was first announced in November 2022 and will be operated by its subsidiary, 3Sun USA.

The main cell and panel plant is expected to have an initial capacity of 3 GW, which Enel says it plans to double to 6 GW. The plant is expected to bring millions of dollars of investment to the state, creating more than 1,500 jobs, and is expected to be operational by the end of 2024.

An Enel spokesperson told PV magazine, "We are nearing completion of our evaluation of potential sites for the plant, and factors considered in making the site decision include land availability, skilled labour stock, connectivity to the transportation network, and tax and incentive structures."

The US is becoming increasingly attractive to solar module manufacturers because the $37 billion Inflation Reduction Act contains significant manufacturing incentives, including tax breaks for solar cell and panel manufacturing.

Enel currently has a $3 billion portfolio of wind power assets in the state and an office in Oklahoma City, Okla. Enel said, "We are very excited about the possibility of expanding our operations in the state."

The plant will join Qcells' 3.3 GW vertically integrated solar manufacturing site in Georgia, making it by far the largest solar manufacturing news in the United States.

Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt said, "[Oklahoma] will soon enter into one of the largest economic development deals in the state's history with Enel, which has been investing in the state for more than a decade."

Enel said it is considering building a new plant in the Tulsa area.