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☆ Key Solar Panel Ingredient Is Made in the U.S.A. Again
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Ivan Penn | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A factory in Moses Lake, Wash., that shut down in 2019 will soon resume shipping a critical ingredient used in most solar panels that for years has been made almost exclusively in China. REC Silicon reopened the factory, which makes polysilicon, the building block for the large majority of solar panels, in November in partnership with Hanwha Qcells, a South Korean company that is investing billions of dollars in U.S. solar panel production. As part of the deal, Hanwha this month said it has become the largest shareholder in REC Silicon, which is based in Norway. Executives at the companies say they reopened the factory in part because of incentives for domestic manufacturing in the Inflation Reduction Act, President Biden’s signature climate law. They expressed hope that their decision would also encourage other companies to revive production of a technology that was created in the United States about 70 years ago.

Persons: Hanwha Qcells Organizations: REC, South Locations: Moses Lake, China, Southeast Asia, South Korean, Norway, United States

☆ How Georgia became America's green-manufacturing capital
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

Howey, now 30, grew up in northwestern Georgia near Dalton, a small city known as the "carpet capital of the world." SolarCycle, which reclaims old solar panels to make new ones, in February announced plans for a glass factory. The law authorized big tax credits for companies making renewable-energy technologies, including solar panels, batteries, and electric vehicles, in the US. According to S&P Global, the US imported more than two-thirds of its solar panels from Southeast Asia last year. When he sees solar panels atop the chargers, he feels pride in his job.

Persons: Robert Howey, Howey, he'd, Qcells, Catherine Boudreau, Joe Biden, Biden, Bob Keefe, Keefe, Gedia, Pat Wilson, Wilson, Brian Kemp, Benz, Dalton, Kemp, Heidi Popham, Popham, Donald Trump, Scott Moskowitz, Sen, Jon Ossoff of, Moskowitz, it's, Carl Campbell, Campbell, —, Whitfield, Jevin Jensen, Jensen, He's Organizations: US Navy, Business, Qcells, South, Hanwha, SK, Hyundai, Georgia Department of Economic, Gov, Porsche, Mercedes, SK On's, Financial Times, Georgia Northwestern Technical College, Treasury Department, P Global, Microsoft, Development Authority, Shaw Industries, Mohawk Industries, EV Locations: Georgia, Dalton, Japan, Cartersville, South Korea, Malaysia, North Carolina, China, Georgia , North Carolina, South Carolina, Savannah, Atlanta, Cartersville , Georgia, Germany, Commerce , Georgia, Southeast Asia, Korea, Jon Ossoff of Georgia, Washington, BloombergNEF, Vietnam, Whitfield County, ., Whitfield, Calhoun

☆ South Korea flies solid-fuel rocket amid space race with North Korea
▼ + stars: | 2023-12-04 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] A solid-fuel space rocket is launched during a test flight over the sea near Jeju Island, South Korea, December 4, 2023. The Defense Ministry/Handout via REUTERS Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Dec 4 (Reuters) - South Korea on Monday successfully conducted a flight of a solid-fuel rocket carrying a satellite over the sea near Jeju Island, the defence ministry said, amid a growing space race with neighbouring North Korea. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carried South Korea's first spy satellite into orbit on Friday from California's Vandenberg Space Force Base. North Korea on Monday denounced what it called Washington's "double standard" over the two Koreas' satellite launches and said such "brigandish" American standards would never be tolerated. A functioning reconnaissance satellite could allow North Korea to remotely monitor U.S., South Korean, and Japanese troops.

Persons: California's, Kim Jong, Hyunsu Yim, hyang Choi, Ed Davies, Gerry Doyle Organizations: The Defense Ministry, REUTERS Acquire, Rights, Agency for Defense Development, Korea's Hanwha, Hanwha Systems, SpaceX, California's Vandenberg Space Force, White House, Pentagon, U.S, Thomson Locations: Jeju, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, North Korea, Pyongyang, United States, Korea, Norfolk , Virginia, South

☆ South Korea wants to become one of the world's biggest arms dealers
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Victor Loh | Nessa Anwar | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

From 2018 to 2022, South Korea was the ninth largest weapons supplier globally, ahead of Israel, the Netherlands and Turkey. In recent years, South Korea has edged out stiff competition from Western defense manufacturers and cheaper Chinese developers with government support, attractive pricing and faster delivery times. "The government will nurture the defense industry into a state-of-the-art strategic industry that leads economic growth," South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol has stated. Today, the biggest South Korean defense companies include Hanwha, Korea Aerospace Industries, LIG Nex11 and Hyundai Rotem. But are these factors enough for South Korea to become one of the world's biggest arms dealers?

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Kim Dae, Jumong Kim, Oskar Pietrewicz, Pietrewicz Organizations: Korea Aerospace Industries, LIG, Hyundai Rotem, Hanwha Aerospace, CNBC, South Korean Locations: South Korea, Israel, Netherlands, Turkey, Seoul, United States, Russia, France, Korean, Hanwha, Korea, China, Poland

Two officials from a Korean defence company confirmed the syndicated loan plan. Two officials at South Korean banks said there would be loans, but did not specify the type. That deal was worth $13.7 billion, South Korea's largest to date. The South Korean government didn't immediately provide a comment when asked for one. The South Korean government official did not elaborate on the size of the potential syndicated loan.

Persons: Kacper, didn't, 1,320.4500, Cynthia Kim, Seunggyu Lim, Jihoon Lee, Josh Smith, Gerry Doyle Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, South Korean, South, Korea's, Hyundai Rotem Co, Hanwha Aerospace, Hyundai Rotem, U.S, Thomson Locations: South Korea, Wierzbiny, Orzysz, Poland, Rights SEOUL, South Korean, South, Seoul, Ukraine, Russia, Europe

☆ Insight: US solar panel manufacturing boom threatened by cheap imports
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-03 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/5] Solar panels from SunPower are installed on residential buildings at a model home display in the Eureka Grove neighborhood of Granite Bay, California, U.S., October 5, 2021. But global solar panel prices have collapsed due to a wave of new Asian production capacity in recent months, leading many in the U.S. solar industry to worry many of these proposed factories may be uneconomical. U.S. officials have repeatedly warned that over-reliance on Chinese clean energy technology could pose a security risk similar to Europe's historical dependence on Russian natural gas. A White House spokesperson did not respond to questions about recent market challenges facing domestic solar manufacturers, but said Biden's policies had generated a huge wave of investment and were revitalizing American manufacturing. Mike Carr, executive director of the Solar Energy Manufacturers for America trade group, said factories could be delayed, extending U.S. dependence on China.

Persons: Nathan Frandino, Joe Biden’s, ”, Edurne Zoco, Wood Mackenzie, Mike Carr, ” Carr, Brian Lynch, Jekyll, Hyde, Lynch, Danny O'Brien, Meyer Burger, Hari Achuthan, Richard Valdmanis, David Gregorio Our Organizations: REUTERS, P, U.S . International Trade Commission, Companies, Reuters, Energy, Solar Energy Manufacturers, America, Insights, U.S . Commerce Department, Solar Energy Industries Association, Convalt Energy, Treasury Department, Commerce Department, Thomson Locations: Eureka Grove, Granite Bay , California, U.S, Europe, China, United States, Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Mexico, Hanwha, Colorado, Asia, New York, Maine

☆ South Korea's Yoon Departs for Saudi Arabia and Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Oct. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol left for Saudi Arabia and Qatar on Saturday to discuss business cooperation as well as to discuss security conditions amid the crisis in the Middle East, his office said. Yoon, in what would be the first state visit by a South Korean leader, will hold talks with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Sunday, and will travel to Qatar on Oct. 24-25 for a summit and to attend a business forum. The state visit takes place roughly a year after the Saudi crown prince visited South Korea and discussed cooperation in the areas of energy, defence and infrastructure construction, signing investment pacts worth $30 billion with Korean firms. Business leaders accompanying President Yoon include Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair E.S. Chung and the heads of Hanwha, GS, and HD Hyundai conglomerates, according to Yoon's office.

Persons: Yoon Suk Yeol, Yoon, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Jay Y, Lee, Chung, Cynthia Kim, Lincoln Organizations: South, Saudi Crown, Business, Samsung Electronics, Hyundai Motor Group, Hyundai Locations: SEOUL, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Korean, Saudi, South Korea

That's almost 40% of U.S. solar panel capacity, according to figures from the Solar Energy Industries Association. Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesIndustry jitters about a flood of cheap solar panels from overseas show how dependent on federal policy the solar industry remains. Even with that boost, solar industry leaders warn, factories will struggle to compete with a new spike in cheap Asian imports. They're again urging federal officials to investigate whether solar panels are being dumped at unfairly low prices. Politics envelops the solar industry.

Persons: That's, Qcells, “, Scott Moskowitz, Joe Biden’s, Donald Trump, They're, Mike Carr, Carr, Moskowitz, Kamala Harris, Brian Kemp, Democratic U.S . Sen, Jon Ossoff, ” Kemp, Ossoff, Georgia Democratic Sen, Raphael Warnock, ” Ossoff Organizations: Hanwha, Solar Energy Industries Association, Associated Press, Republican, U.S, Solar Energy Manufacturers, America Coalition, Qcells, Republican Gov, Democratic U.S ., Georgia Democratic Locations: Georgia, United States, Dalton, U.S, Asia, Cartersville, Washington, China, Taiwan . U.S, OPEC

☆ US solar company Suniva to restart idled factory thanks to Biden climate law
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-11 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The company is the latest to commit to new U.S. solar production capacity since passage last year of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which subsidizes domestic manufacturing of clean energy equipment. "Solar cells can succeed in this market. Suniva will begin producing solar cells, the building blocks of solar panels, at its Norcross, Georgia, facility in the spring of next year, the company said. OIC also committed capital this year to Canadian solar manufacturer Heliene for a new U.S. cell and panel factory in Minnesota. But he credits subsidies contained in the IRA for finally enabling Suniva to produce solar cells again.

Persons: Joe Biden, Brian Snyder, Joe Biden's, Matt, Suniva, Card, Trump, Biden, Suniva's Card, John Podesta, Bidenomics, Nichola, Marguerita Choy Organizations: Democratic, Plymouth Area Renewable Energy Initiative, REUTERS, Reuters, Orion Infrastructure Capital, Lion, White House, Thomson Locations: Plymouth, Plymouth , New Hampshire, U.S, Georgia, China, Norcross , Georgia, New York, Minnesota, Lion Point, America, KS

☆ South Korea is working on an 'arsenal ship' in case it has to shower North Korea with missiles
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Benjamin Brimelow | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

If completed, they would be the first arsenal ships ever built and would mark another accomplishment for South Korea's burgeoning defense industry. AdvertisementAdvertisementThe arsenal shipAn illustration of a possible arsenal ship published in the US Navy's All Hands magazine in May 1995. South Korean interestA North Korean Hwasong ICBM in March 2022. Given the number and types of missiles South Korea's arsenal ships would carry, they could be involved in all three axes — all while staying mobile. AdvertisementAdvertisementHanwha Ocean's arsenal shipFew details about South Korea's arsenal ship program have been released.

Persons: Shoup, Neil Mabini, Haeseong Organizations: South, North, Service, International Maritime Defense Industry, South Korean, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense, US Navy, US, Russian Navy, Navy, RIM, MGM, Tactical Missile System, Air Force, Getty, Korea Air and Missile Defense, Korean, Daewoo Shipbuilding, Marine Engineering, Naval News, South Korea Defense Ministry, NUR Locations: North Korean, Wall, Silicon, South Korean, Busan, Soviet Union, Korean, Korea, Seoul, South Korea

☆ First US offshore wind auction in Gulf of Mexico attracts paltry interest
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

RWE is among the world's largest offshore wind developers, with an extensive portfolio in Europe, and has also secured leases off the coasts of California and New York. The Southeast also has low power prices that could make it harder for higher-cost offshore wind generation to compete for electricity contracts. Texas does not have an offshore wind target. "Today's auction results show the important role state public policy plays in offshore wind market development," Liz Burdock, CEO of the Business Network for Offshore Wind, said in a statement. They included offshore wind development arms of European energy companies Equinor (EQNR.OL) and Shell (SHEL.L), who also have oil and gas operations in the Gulf.

Persons: Karen, Steve Nesius, Biden administration's, Germany's, RWE, Liz Burdock, Joe Biden's, ”, Elizabeth Klein, Nichola, Marguerita Choy, Nick Zieminski Organizations: REUTERS, ASA, Texas, U.S . Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Carolinas, Business Network, Offshore, of Ocean Energy Management, Shell, . Developers, Thomson Locations: Dauphin Island , Alabama, Gulf of Mexico, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, California, Europe, U.S, Gulf, Mexico, Texas, of Mexico

☆ Australia awards South Korea's Hanwha $4.7 bln defence contract
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, July 27 (Reuters) - South Korea's biggest defence company Hanwha Aerospace (012450.KS) on Thursday beat Germany's Rheinmetall (RHMG.DE) to win an Australian contract worth up to A$7 billion ($4.74 billion) for building 129 infantry fighting vehicles. The deal, which Defence Industry Minister Pat Conroy described as one of the largest projects in the history of the Australian army, will have a value of A$5 billion to A$7 billion. Australia has been upgrading its defence capabilities, citing the changing strategic environment in the Pacific region, where China is looking to increase its influence. Hanwha said the deal would further boost ties between Australia and South Korea and had "significant implications" for defence and economic cooperation. ($1 = 1.4780 Australian dollars)Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Alasdair Pal and Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Germany's, Pat Conroy, Conroy, Hanwha, Hanwha's, Anthony Albanese, Renju Jose, Alasdair Pal, Jamie Freed Organizations: SYDNEY, Hanwha Aerospace, Germany's Rheinmetall, Defence Industry, Rheinmetall, Thomson Locations: Australia, Victoria, Pacific, China, South Korea, Germany, Sydney

South Korean companies do not disclose the unit prices for their weapons, which are often sold with support vehicles and spare parts. That will include building South Korean arms on license in Poland, officials in Seoul and Warsaw said. "It may work for some countries at very, very low volume," he added of Polish-brokered South Korean weapons sales, discussing challenges the joint operation might face. The 2022 arms deal began with South Korean companies signing a framework agreement with the Polish government. Seoul has since approved at least some South Korean weapons components for use in Ukraine.

☆ There's an increase in demand for our products from many countries, says aerospace company
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailThere's an increase in demand for our products from many countries, says aerospace companySon Jae-il, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace, says South Korea has increased its defense capabilities because of geopolitical issues, giving the company a competitive advantage.

[1/2] Solar panels are built at the QCells solar energy manufacturing factory in Dalton, Georgia, U.S., March 2, 2023. The Inflation Reduction Act, which passed last year without a single Republican vote, is a signature Biden accomplishment and offers $369 billion investment to address climate change. This includes $270 billion in tax incentives. Republicans have portrayed the tax credits as a distortion of the free market that gives unfair advantage to clean-energy producers over fossil fuels. Frisone, of CZAR-Power, said he plans to call Republican officeholders to make his case, adding, "This is a political stunt -- why are we doing it?"

☆ The IRA isn’t good for just U.S. stocks. Here are some emerging markets names that will benefit too
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Sarah Min | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The Inflation Reduction Act does more than buoy U.S. clean energy stocks – it's also an opportunity for emerging markets firms. But the IRA also represents an opportunity for emerging markets firms. "This is a win, win, win," said Paul Desoisa, co-portfolio manager of the Global Emerging Markets strategy at Martin Currie, a specialist investment manager at Franklin Templeton. Here are some places where emerging markets firms stand to benefit. Some possible contenders include Korea's Hanwha Solutions, a multinational with a solar energy business Hanwha Qcells, abrdn's Khwaja said.

☆ U.S. VP Harris takes Biden's jobs message to Marjorie Taylor Greene's district
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters) - U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Thursday takes the Biden administration's jobs agenda to a right-wing Georgia congressional district represented by Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, an avid supporter of former President Donald Trump. Harris is announcing a further expansion, including an order for 2.5 million new solar panels involving Summit Ridge Energy, according to administration officials. But Dalton is the seat of a county where Trump won 2.4 votes for every one for Biden. "Instead, congressional Republicans want to roll back this progress and put investments in manufacturing, clean energy and good jobs at risk." Georgia is expected to again be one of the most contested states in the 2024 presidential election that may pit Biden against Trump once again.

The money will be used for operational funds such as buying chip production materials, SK Hynix said in regulatory filing on Tuesday. SK Hynix's deal was the largest convertible bond in the Asia-Pacific region, excluding Japan, in a year, according to Refinitiv data. SK Hynix did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the demand. Shares in SK Hynix fell as much as 4% in Tuesday trade, while the wider market (.KS11) rose 0.4% as of 0238 GMT. SK Hynix posted a record quarterly operating loss of 1.7 trillion won ($1.38 billion) in the September-December quarter.

☆ Biden's clean energy factory jobs may elude U.S. union workers
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Nichola Groom | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

Right to work laws allow employees to work in union-represented workplaces and be covered by collective bargaining agreements without joining a union or paying dues. American products, he vowed, would be made with union labor. Union labor. Many of the jobs created will be union jobs, the official added. "It's not a favorable environment, but we can still organize," Samantha Smith, senior adviser for clean energy jobs at the AFL-CIO, said in an interview.

Summary Customs delays, tariff uncertainty and soaring global demand have hiked solar costs and delayed projects as the U.S. weans itself off Chinese dependence. The Biden administration's Uyghur Forced Labor Protection Act (UFLPA) prevents the import of goods produced using forced labour in China’s Xinjiang Province, including much of the polysilicon used in solar panels. UFLPA checks have blocked panel imports at the U.S. border, delaying projects and driving up project costs. CHART: Solar manufacturing capacity by country, regionSource: International Energy Agency's Report on Solar PV Global Supply Chains, August 2022The UFLPA requires visibility into labour practices along the solar value chain. Lightsource bp has contracted for more than 20 million solar panels through 2028 and is considering imports from Southeast Asia, Turkey and India, Smith said.

☆ South Korea's new 'stealthy' fighter jet just hit a supersonic milestone
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Maya Carlin | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

South Korea's KF-21 Boramae "Fighting Hawk" made its first supersonic flight in January. Roughly 65% of the KF-21's parts are domestically produced, a major feat for South Korea. Positioned near the PRC and the Hermit Kingdom, South Korea considers aerial-defense capabilities to be paramount to its security. ReutersDespite its advanced electronics capabilities, Seoul refers to its KF-21 fighter as a 4.5-generation fighter. The Boramae's recent test flight makes Seoul the eighth nation to produce a supersonic fighter.

☆ Wall Street pros reveal their top defense stocks — and the same names keep coming up
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Zavier Ong | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The iShares U.S. Aerospace & Defense ETF (ITA), which tracks the performance of U.S.-listed aerospace and defense stocks, rose 8.8% in 2022 and is up more than 2% this year. He said defense stocks are "one way to protect the other parts of the portfolio that are under pressure." "I'm bullish on aerospace and defense stocks, and I think those are names that should be in a longer-term portfolio. The investment bank described Moog as a "transition story" that will benefit from an "extended defense spending lift." Other South Korean stocks with exposure to the defense sector include Hyundai Heavy Industries and Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering.

The wind, solar and EV manufacturing sectors are creating the new positions, which include electricians, mechanics, construction workers and technicians. Since President Joe Biden signed the historic Inflation Reduction Act into law last August, companies have announced more than 100,000 clean energy jobs across the country, according to a report by the nonprofit Climate Power. The IRA is the biggest climate bill ever passed by Congress and provides $369 billion in funding for initiatives like cutting emissions, manufacturing clean energy products and advancing environmental justice initiatives. So far, 22 companies have unveiled plans for new or expanded EV manufacturing in Alabama, Oklahoma and Michigan. And an additional 24 companies have released plans to expand wind and solar manufacturing in Colorado, Ohio and Texas.

☆ Biden’s Green Subsidies Are Attracting Billions of Dollars to Red States
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-23 | by ( Phred Dvorak | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Republican-leaning states are attracting most of the clean-energy investments spurred by the Biden administration’s signature Inflation Reduction Act, a bill that passed the U.S. Congress without any Republican votes. The act, which was signed into law in mid-August, offers beefy tax credits and other support for clean-energy projects ranging from wind farms to factories that make batteries, solar components or hydrogen. The incentives have improved the economics of those projects and helped spark a flood of investment announcements from companies including the solar manufacturing unit of South Korean conglomerate Hanwha Group and Norwegian startup Freyr Battery .

SEOUL, Jan 11 (Reuters) - South Korea's Hanwha Solutions Corp (009830.KS) said on Wednesday its unit Hanwha Q Cells will invest a total of $2.5 billion to build a solar power manufacturing value chain in the U.S. state of Georgia through June 2025. The company's board approved on Wednesday a $2.31 investment to build a solar power ingot, wafer, cell and module factory, the company said in a regulatory filing. This is in addition to a roughly $200 billion U.S. investment approved late last year, a Hanwha Solutions spokesperson said. With the investment, the company is expected to increase its solar module production capacity in the United States from 1.7 gigawatts as of 2022 to 8.4 gigawatts as of 2024, Hanwha Solutions said in a press conference. Reporting by Joyce Lee and Heekyong Yang; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman and Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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