Nextracker launches production line next to Texas steel mill

US solar tracker maker Nextracker Inc on Wednesday said it has launched a production line in Texas to manufacture tracker components for the southern US solar farm market as it focussed on manufacturing in the US to address global supply disruptions.

The manufacturing line is a partnership with JM Steel, a division of Jennmar USA, and is located on the campus of the new Steel Dynamics Inc (SDI) plant near Corpus Christi. When fully operational, it will employ about 50 people and represent an annual multi-GW solar tracker capacity.

Nextracker explained the facility will help protect from steel and logistics cost volatility and logistics delays. Founder and chief executive Dan Shugar said the company is migrating to domestic production to stabilise pricing and achieve on-time delivery for its customers. In addition, the collocation next to a new US steel mill provides for a lower-carbon footprint.

Tony Calandra, chief executive of JM Steel and Jennmar USA, said that all of the steel for Nextracker's products will be made with SDI's electric arc furnace (EAF) technology, which uses recycled or scrap steel as a raw material.

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