Evergreen Solar Inc. has broken ground for its new $165 million facility in Devens, Mass. The company states its new manufacturing plant will increase production capacity in Massachusetts by 75 MW and double its employee base in the state to more than 600. Evergreen currently operates its prototype production and manufacturing facility in Marlboro, Mass.
‘Our new plant in Massachusetts is a natural evolution of this market penetration as we focus on the significant opportunities in the United States,’ says Richard M. Feldt, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Evergreen Solar. ‘Several states aggressively pursued our planned new facility. Gov. Deval Patrick's vision for broad-scale solar power adoption, through an innovative solar incentive program and the creative financial incentive programs that the governor and the Legislature are expected to provide, were key factors in our decision to expand in Massachusetts.’
The new facility will benefit from a support program provided by the state that includes $23 million in grants, up to $17.5 million in low-interest loans and a low-cost 30-year lease of state-owned property in Devens. The company expects the facility to start shipping product in the third quarter of 2008 and reach full capacity by late 2008 or early 2009.
