US First Solar seeks approval to expand capacity of Vietnam plant

First Solar, an American manufacturer of solar panels, is seeking Vietnamese authorities' nod to enlarge the capacity of its VND23.9 trillion ($942.5 million) factory in Ho Chi Minh City.

According to its application for an environmental safety permit submitted to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, First Solar says it aims to increase the factory’s annual output of solar photovoltaic modules from 7.3 million to 9.13 million items.

The company is also looking to expand the annual production of crushed glass derived from solar photovoltaic modules from 2,764 to 15,000 tons, and chemicals derived from those modules from 81 to 146 tons.

First Solar has completed the construction of two production lines, covering 20.6 hectares at the facility’s total area of 44.2 hectares.

For the expansion, First Solar will only make technical upgrades to “bottleneck” phases, such as semiconductor coating, cadmium chloride heating, zinc telluride coating, laser cutting and engraving, and packaging.

First Solar will also integrate new technologies to optimize production, such as vibration analysis, infrared scanning, torque monitoring, and automation.

Established in 1999, First Solar started investment and production in Vietnam in 2017. Its $1.07 billion investment at Dong Nam Industrial Park in Ho Chi Minh City started operations in 2018 with an annual capacity of 5.31 million tons of solar photovoltaic modules. After five years, the firm expanded its operation to 7.3 million tons of solar photovoltaic modules.