JA Solar, a China-based global solar cell and module manufacturing leader, will establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Phoenix, Arizona. The $60 million project is expected to create more than 600 jobs.

The new facility will produce high-efficiency solar panels (PV modules) for commercial and residential rooftop applications, as well as for utility-scale solar power plants deployment with annual production capacity of 2 gigawatts (GW) once it is fully functional. Operations are scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2023.

“We are very excited to be able to set up the first U.S. solar module manufacturing facility in Arizona to provide our customers in the U.S. the flexibility and ease of access to JA Solar’s high-performance PV products,” said Aiqing Yang, President of JA Solar. “JA Solar thanks all the partners in Arizona, especially the ACA, GPEC, and the City of Phoenix for their great support and tremendous assistance during the entire process of site selection and space leasing in preparation to establish the manufacturing facility. Solar is a critical part of renewable energy and we are thrilled to be a part of the effort to meet the goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 in the U.S.”

JA Solar Holdings is a solar development company founded in Yangpu district, Shanghai. The company designs, develops, manufactures and sells solar cell and solar module products.

“JA Solar’s new facility showcases Arizona’s attractiveness as a global manufacturing destination,” said Sandra Watson, President and CEO of the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA). “We are grateful JA Solar will manufacture its high-efficiency solar panels in Phoenix, enhancing Arizona’s renewable energy industry.”

“Innovations in clean technology allow Greater Phoenix to produce the power requisite for promoting job growth throughout the region,” said Chris Camacho, President and CEO of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council. “We are excited to support JA Solar in its expansion to Phoenix, creating more than 600 jobs for local residents and sustainably bolstering energy production in the region to enable economic transformation.”