US thin-film specialist First Solar has opened a $1.1 billion vertically integrated thin-film solar factory in the US state of Alabama. It said the 3.5 GW facility will create more than 800 new jobs.

Alabama Governor Kay Ivey said the manufacturing facility in Lawrence County, Alabama, would help end US reliance on foreign-made PV modules.

The new factory brings First Solar's US production capacity grows to nearly 11 GW, contributing to a global total exceeding 21 GW once fully operational.

First Solar CEO Mark Widmar said the new facility produces solar panels made with components sourced from across the United States. He claimed that the workforce at the plant represents the future of American energy, alongside many others such as steelworkers, glassworkers, miners, and transportation workers, all contributing to the company's goal of strengthening the nation’s energy security.

“This is the first of two fully vertically integrated solar manufacturing facilities that solidify the role of the Gulf Coast states in enabling America’s all-of-the-above energy strategy,” he added.

The company said it is also building a $1.1 billion factory in Louisiana, with plans for 14 GW of U.S. capacity by 2026.

First Solar’s new Alabama plant integrates the entire solar production process under one roof, using Alabama-sourced steel. The company is the only major US-based solar manufacturer, with more than $4 billion invested in domestic manufacturing.

In April, the company revealed plans to collaborate with the Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg (ZSW) to develop thin-film PV technologies on a gigawatt scale.

In March, First Solar and Uppsala University set a new world record with a copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS )solar cell efficiency of 23.64%, surpassing the previous record of 23.35%.