TOYO has announced plans to build a 1.5 GW heterojunction (HJT) solar cell manufacturing facility in the Houston, Texas area. Backed by a $357 million investment, the project is expected to be completed within 20 months and create approximately 400 direct jobs. The new facility will operate alongside the company’s existing solar panel manufacturing plant, optimizing logistics and improving operational efficiency. Through this strategic expansion, TOYO aims to establish a localized supply chain, benefit from federal incentives, and strengthen its position in the rapidly growing U.S. utility-scale solar market.
At the core of TOYO’s long-term strategy is heterojunction (HJT) technology, which is widely regarded as an ideal platform for the future integration of perovskite solar cells, offering the potential for significantly higher conversion efficiencies. This technological focus differentiates the company from competitors that primarily rely on PERC and TOPCon technologies. Local production will also help TOYO comply with the U.S. Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) requirements by establishing a secure and reliable domestic supply chain.
TOYO currently operates a 1 GW solar panel manufacturing facility and plans to expand that capacity to 2 GW by 2026. The new solar cell factory represents the next step toward creating a fully integrated domestic supply chain, covering everything from polysilicon to finished solar modules. Chairman and CEO Takahiko Onozuka emphasized that the investment is fully aligned with the company’s long-term vision of strengthening local manufacturing and advancing next-generation solar technologies.
The announcement comes as TOYO faces anti-dumping and countervailing duty complaints from several U.S. solar manufacturers. The complaints allege that the company uses China-linked wafers to circumvent trade tariffs. Against this backdrop, the establishment of a domestic manufacturing facility is expected to play a crucial role in reinforcing TOYO’s commercial resilience, ensuring regulatory compliance, and securing its long-term presence in the U.S. solar industry.
Source: Solarbaba – In Turkish
