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Hanhwa Q Cells and Microsoft have signed a partnership deal for the supply of solar panels and the provision of related services. The companies revealed that this is for the upcoming projects of the American tech firm.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Hanwha Q Cells will deliver more than 2.5 gigawatts of solar panel modules to Microsoft. This amount of electric power is enough for 400,000 households.
It was mentioned that this is the first time that Microsoft is collaborating directly with a solar panel supplier as it aims to take on clean energy on a big scale. It has made the pledge to buy renewable energy to attain 100% renewable energy usage by the year 2025.
Hanwha Solutions is the parent company of Hanhwa Q Cells, and it is planning to invest about KRW3.2 trillion, or around $2.6 billion, to set up its solar hub in Cartersville, Georgia. The facility will manufacture four important parts for renewable energy, which include modules and solar ingots, a raw material required for making solar wafers that are typically used as a base for solar panels. Additionally, it is also expected to produce 3.3 GW per year, and commercial production is set to start by the end of 2024.
“Building a resilient solar energy supply chain is essential to advancing a global green energy economy,” Microsoft’s vice chairman and president, Brad Smith, said in a press release. “Microsoft’s partnership with Qcells will help make this vision a reality by bringing innovation and investment to rural Georgia.”
Hanhwa Q Cells, chief executive officer, Justin Lee, also stated, “We are striving to build and deliver turnkey clean energy solutions, including those made in America, and this partnership with Microsoft will help accomplish this vision.”
Lee added that this deal with Microsoft is only the start of a great team-up that “not only supports our two companies but helps deliver a clean energy future for customers and communities.”
Photo by: Raphael Cruz/Unsplash
