FREYR Battery announced it will rebrand as T1 Energy. The former Norwegian company focused on lithium battery development is now an American solar panel manufacturer with battery aspirations.
“The rebirth of our company as T1 Energy is about American energy, jobs, and advanced manufacturing. The U.S. needs domestic supply chains and manufacturing capacity to harness its abundant solar resources. T1 is committed to building that capacity,” commented Daniel Barcelo, T1’s Chairman of the Board and CEO. “More than 80% of new U.S. electricity capacity in 2024 was solar and batteries. T1 plans to lead in the solar and battery markets by enabling the growth in energy supply required to support AI, data centers, reshoring, and electrification — to restore American industrial capacity and leadership in future advanced industries.”
T1 Energy’s headquarters will be in Austin, Texas. The company operates a 5-GW solar panel assembly facility in Wilmer, Texas, that uses Trina Solar technology. T1 has renamed the Wilmer plant “G1 Dallas.”
T1 is shopping sites for a silicon cell manufacturing outfit, which will be named “G2.” The company anticipates choosing a site in Q1 with the start of construction targeted for mid-year 2025.
After pivoting to solar panel manufacturing and buying Trina’s Texas panel assembly facility in Nov. 2024 for $340 million, T1 canceled its lithium battery manufacturing plans in Georgia. T1 was unable to find financial support for the proposed $1.7 billion battery site and sold the land earlier this month for a reported $50 million.
“T1 Energy’s headquarters will be in Austin, Texas. The company operates a 5-GW solar panel assembly facility in Wilmer, Texas, that uses Trina Solar technology. T1 has renamed the Wilmer plant “G1 Dallas.”
There ya’ go, the low hanging fruit is to partner with Chinese solar PV manufacturing companies already established in the U.S. to promote using wafers cells and materials actually made in the U.S.A. from silicon to finished solar PV cells. IF T1’s long term goal is to push the Chinese manufacturer out of the manufacturing plant, it may not turn out like T1 thinks it will play out. The overarching question is what a T1 to Trina technology licensing agreement cost in the long term?