In this episode of the Energy Transitions Podcast, Danielle Merfeld, Global Chief Technology Officer at Hanwha Qcells, provides insights into these expansion plans, highlighting the success of their Dalton factory, one of the largest manufacturing plants of its kind in the Western Hemisphere.
In 2023, Hanwa Qcells, founded in Germany and headquartered in South Korea invested $2.5 billion in starting a US supply chain.
In this episode, insights will be provided into:
- The capital and technical know-how needed to create a complex solar supply chain
- How Q Cells fosters innovation by centralising production processes
- Why the US market is a strategic focus for Qcells
- The importance of partnerships and investing in other suppliers to stimulate growth
- How the US policy landscape is facilitating growth and participation from European companies
- Why Europe has lost its first-mover advantage over the US when it comes to solar
- Why there is still room for innovation and disruption in the mature solar market
- How effective data management can lead to greater efficiency
Merfeld will be speaking at the World Energy Congress taking place in Rotterdam 22-25 April.