The Michigan-based manufacturer supplies solar-grade polysilicon used to manufacture monocrystalline ingots and wafers used in solar cells.
January 9, 2025
From PV Magazine USA
The U.S. Department of Commerce has awarded up to $325 million in direct funding to Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) under the CHIPS Incentive Program Commercial Manufacturing Facilities Funding Opportunity (CHIPS and Science Act).
Hemlock Semiconductor is one of the only U.S.-based manufacturers of ultra-high purity polysilicon for the semiconductor and solar cell industries. Earlier this month, REC Silicon, a potential leader in polysilicon manufacturing, announced it would cease polysilicon production at its facility in Moses Lake, Washington, which produced polysilicon used in solar power manufacturing.
The award to HSC will support the construction of a new manufacturing facility in Hemlock, Michigan that will produce polysilicon for both the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries.
HSC’s ultra-high purity polysilicon is used to make ultra-low carbon solar panels, allowing solar developers and owners to reduce carbon in their bodies by up to 50%, the company said.
The new facility is expected to create approximately 180 manufacturing jobs and more than 1,000 construction jobs over the long term.
“Hemlock is a world leader and the only U.S.-owned company that produces ultra-high purity polysilicon, a critical material in everything from phones to appliances to cars,” said Governor Whitmer. “By coming here to Michigan, we are bringing our supply chain back home, saving costs for our manufacturers and creating cutting-edge opportunities for our employees.”
The bipartisan CHIPS and Science Act was signed into law in 2022. The $52 billion investment was aimed at revitalizing the country’s semiconductor industry, reducing dependence on foreign imports, and creating jobs at the same time.
The funds will be distributed for capital expenditures based on the completion of construction, production and commercial milestones. The program tracks the performance of each CHIPS incentive award through financial and program reports, subject to the award terms and conditions.
The award was announced in October 2024 and follows a previously signed preliminary memorandum of conditions and the completion of the Department’s due diligence. For more information about this award, please visit the CHIPS for America website.
HSC began operations in 1961 and is owned by Corning Incorporated and Shin-Etsu Handotai.
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