Hanwha Qcells wins 200 MW solar project to power Meta

Hanwha Solutions' Qcells division has secured a contract to supply solar modules and carry out engineering, procurement and construction work for a renewable energy project that will power Meta.

Hanwha Qcells announced Sunday it had signed an agreement with US renewable energy developer Zelestr Energy to supply about 320,000 modules and handle EPC work for a 200-megawatt solar power plant to be built in Gibson County, Indiana.

The 200 MW plant will generate enough electricity to power about 36,000 US households for a year. It is scheduled for completion by the end of next year. Under a power purchase agreement between the developer and Meta, all electricity produced at the plant will go to Meta.

The plant will be built on a former coal mining site. The project is named Reclamation, reflecting its aim to restore a retired industrial site and transform it into a hub for clean energy production.

Big tech companies have been aggressively securing solar and other renewable energy to meet surging power demand driven by the rapid expansion of data centers and AI. According to BloombergNEF, the four major tech giants — Meta, Amazon, Google and Microsoft — accounted for about 49 percent of all corporate renewable energy purchases worldwide last year.

Hanwha Qcells plans to expand its solar production capacity to keep pace with growing demand. As part of that effort, it completed Solar Hub last month — North America's largest integrated solar manufacturing complex. Solar Hub is the only facility in the United States with a fully vertically integrated solar value chain, running from ingots through wafers, cells and modules. Hanwha Qcells' US production capacity stands at 3.3 gigawatts each for ingots, wafers and cells, and 8.6 GW for modules.

"Hanwha Qcells will leverage its US manufacturing capabilities and proven EPC track record to help global tech leaders achieve their clean energy goals with a reliable and cost-effective power supply," said Chris Hodrick, head of Hanwha Qcells' EPC business division.