Germany-based multinational Siemens has announced that it will be opening a new factory producing 800MW a year of utility-scale string inverters in Kenosha, a city in the northern US state of Wisconsin. The facility will be operational from 2024, and will create about 12 jobs initially, although this figure will rise afterwards.
Siemens’ manufacturing partner Sanmina will operate the factory, and it will be responsible for the production of Blueplanet string inverters. Over the past four years, Siemens has invested more than $3bn (€2.76bn) in the US.
Of the deal, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers said: “Manufacturing is part of our DNA in Wisconsin, so I am excited Siemens is bringing production of these Made in America clean energy components to Kenosha. Utility-scale solar is critical to achieving 100% carbon-free electricity by 2050. Coupled with the clean energy incentives included in the federal Inflation Reduction Act, this will help accelerate our progress toward a workforce and economy that are built for the 21st century.”
Ruth Gratzke, president of Siemens Smart Infrastructure USA, added: “This new production line at the Sanmina facility represents Siemens’ strategic priorities to best serve our US customers while being a key partner in our nation’s transition to a more sustainable future. The investments we are making in communities like Kenosha and the work that we will be doing to bring renewable infrastructure to life will have a crucial impact as we work towards our net-zero goals as a country.”