JinkoSolar's 1st US plant to start production by Q4 - report

JinkoSolar Holding Co Ltd (NYSE:JKS) is to commence solar module production in the US state of Florida by the closing quarter of the year, Reuters reports, citing a company director.

Jinko said as early as January that its board of directors had authorised it to finalise planning for the construction of an advanced solar manufacturing facility in the US. Then, at the end of March, the Chinese solar major said the production base will be in Jacksonville, Florida. The announcement came together with an agreement to supply up to 2,750 MW of solar modules over four years to US-based energy company NextEra Energy Inc (NYSE:NEE).

The company said in March its first factory in the US would be able to produce 400 MW of PV modules per year.

Reuters today cited the company’s business development director Jeff Juger as saying that all the photovoltaic (PV) cells to be imported for the production of panels at Jacksonville would come from Malaysia. This is why the firm is not much worried about US President Trump’s plan to slap more tariffs on Chinese products.

Meanwhile, Juger told Reuters that the company is seeking an exclusion from the cell import duties introduced in early 2018 for a large-format PV cell it produces in Malaysia. If granted, the exclusion will make it possible for JinkoSolar to lift production in Florida further.

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