EDIT 11/25/24: Since this article was published, Thornova Solar has reached out and informed us its cell factory is not operational and amended its press release to remove mention of cell production, including revising the forward-looking quote from CEO William Sheng.
Fremont, California-headquartered Thornova Solar is prioritizing serving the United States market with a steady supply of solar modules. That’s precisely why the company has started manufacturing operations on the island of Batam in Indonesia.
In light of “changes in the U.S. market regulations,” Thornova has commenced operations on a pair of 2.5-gigawatt (GW) capacity lines at an Indonesian plant equipped with state-of-the-art, fully automated technology.
Indonesia is not among the countries under scrutiny from the International Trade Commission (ITC) over antidumping and countervailing duty (AD/CVD) investigations challenging the unfair and illegal trade practices of Chinese-headquartered companies, nor is it subject to Section 201 or 301 import tariffs. According to Reuters and other recent reports, Indonesia and nearby Laos are quickly becoming hot spots for solar production, since the nations aren’t subject to the trade protections of some other Southeast Asian countries. Although domestic manufacturing capabilities are expanding, the U.S. took in around $12.5 billion worth of solar imports in 2023, the majority coming from Southeast Asia.
William Sheng, CEO of Thornova Solar, says commissioning began at the Batam factory in September, and it is now in full-scale production of solar modules.
“The US is the most important market for Thornova Solar. Therefore, ensuring proper production capacity in accordance with the local regulations is mandatory to meet the increasing demand for our modules in this market,” Sheng explained.
The production facility is equipped with an automated guided vehicles (AGVs)-based transport system of mobile robots connected by a 5G network. It uses the “newest flexible intralogistics automation solutions,” according to Thornova, further enhancing the AGVs transporting materials to and fro.
The module manufacturing operations can provide modules ranging from 400-watt offerings for residential customers to 720-watt modules for large-scale, ground-mounted utility projects. These modules are produced using both PERC and N-type technology, ensuring performance and efficiency across a wide array of solar applications.
Thornova’s plans go beyond providing modules from Indonesia.
“This is only the first step,” offered Sheng. “We are pursuing capacity additions in the US. By mid-2025, US customers will have the choice of getting N-Type PV cells or modules from Indonesia, Laos, or the USA, providing a variety of supply chain solutions. Early in 2026, we will be able to provide 100% US-made modules – fully meeting the domestic content requirements.”
