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Corning says it will add 400 jobs and contribute domestically produced wafers to the US solar supply chain with an investment of $1.5 billion. Corning, a material science innovator specializing in glass, ceramics and optics, announced that it is increasing the capacity of solar wafers produced in its Hemlock Semiconductor plant in Michigan. Hemlock Semiconductor, currently one of the only US producers of solar-grade polysilicon, is owned by US-based Corning and Japan’s Shin-Etsu Handotai. Its plant is located in Saginaw County, Michigan. “Corning has a long, proud history in Michigan, and we’re excited to expand our footprint here by increasing our investment and creating more advanced manufacturing jobs that pay significantly above the regional media,” said Wendell P. Weeks, chairman and chief executive officer. In January Corning announced the construction of a new Hemlock Semiconductor manufacturing facility, and this announcement is a further expansion of that facility, AB Ghosh, Corning vice president and CEO of Hemlock Semiconductor, told pv magazine USA. While Corning does not typically disclose the capacity of its plants, Ghosh said that the new advanced manufacturing facility will be the largest of its kind in the United States. “We will commercialize our made-in-America wafers in the second half of this year,” Ghosh said. “The market response is strong and we have committed customers for 100% of available 2025 capacity and 80% for the next five years.” Corning reported that its new manufacturing facility is expected to create approximately 400 new, high-paying jobs, bringing the total to 1,500. Recently Corning joined Suniva and Heliene in announcing what is reportedly the first domestically produced polysilicon solar module. Corning will produce the wafer at its Hemlock plant, Suniva will produce the cells in Georgia and Heliene will produce the modules in Minnesota. “Together, our companies offer the only solar cell in the market that provides U.S. developers maximum ITC domestic content advantage – while building a domestic supply chain that provides for American energy independence and a strong manufacturing base,” said Matt Card, president of Suniva. Corning announced its first-quarter 2025 results exceeded guidance with sales growing 13% year over year and earnings per share (EPS) increasing three times faster. The company said in a release that it expects continued strong year-over-year growth in Q2, with core sales of approximately $3.85 billion, and core EPS “again growing significantly faster than sales to a range of $0.55 to $0.59.” “We’re well positioned to maintain momentum despite a dynamic external environment because our growth is underpinned by powerful secular trends that are underway today,” Weeks said. “For example, we’re seeing remarkable customer response to both our innovations for [Generative] AI data centers and our US-made solar products, and we are accelerating our production ramps for both.” |
