Lightsource bp expands First Solar module supply plan to 8.3 GW

From pv magazine USA

Lightsource bp has agreed to purchase 4 GW of First Solar's thin-film PV modules. Delivery is expected to take place between 2026 and 2028.

The order adds to a 4.3 GW purchase made in 2021. The deal includes Series 6 Plus and Series 7 solar modules. The modules are designed and developed at First Solar’s research centers in Ohio and California.

“We are seizing the opportunity by not just growing our 20 GW development pipeline across the United States, but also creating sizeable demand for our US-based partner First Solar, which, in turn, is investing in innovation and manufacturing, and supporting thousands of direct and indirect American jobs,” said Kevin Smith, chief executive officer of Lightsource bp.

As part of the supply agreement, Lightsource bp has also committed to using First Solar’s module recycling program. The company is a market leader in PV recycling, operating a program that provides closed-loop semiconductor recovery for use in new modules, while also recovering other materials including aluminum, glass, and laminates.

In addition, First Solar is the first PV manufacturer to have its product included in the Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) global registry for sustainable electronics.

“This is another sizable commitment by Lightsource bp and a reflection of their trust in First Solar and our technology,” said Georges Antoun, chief commercial officer of First Solar. “Our relationship with Lightsource bp is a partnership in growth. We enable their growth with certainty through long-term pricing and supply commitments, and advanced technology, while they enable ours by providing the certainty of demand we need to invest in manufacturing.”

First Solar is expanding its manufacturing capacity across the United States to meet this demand. The company expects to start running a third factory in Ohio in the first half of 2023, and a fourth factory in Alabama is currently under construction and expected to go online in 2025. The factories will produce Series 7 modules.

Separately, Silicon Ranch – a Nashville-based independent power producer – said this week that it has procured an additional 1.5 GW of advanced US-made thin film solar modules from First Solar. The deal expands upon a master supply agreement between the two solar businesses, which includes a 4 GW transaction announced in April 2022 and, more recently, a 700 MW commitment announced in October 2022. Whereas the prior agreements will supply Silicon Ranch projects through 2025, the 1.5 GW follow-on order will serve projects in 2026 and 2027.