Vitro announced through its architectural glass business the expansion of its contract with vertically integrated solar manufacturer, First Solar, which was announced last April. This expansion aims to provide the glass front sheets used in advanced thin-film photovoltaic solar panels manufactured by First Solar.
About the expansion
Aligned with the company's international expansion plans, this operation represents approximately $1.3 billion dollars in sales over the next 10 years, in addition to the sales covered by the initial contract, estimated at a similar amount.
Considering the requirements of this expansion, Vitro will invest an estimated $180 million to upgrade one of the furnaces at the Meadville plant, located in Pennsylvania, as well in adapting additional existing facilities, to support First Solar's growing manufacturing capacity in the U.S.
Vitro's plants are strategically located to meet First Solar's needs and already have the required raw materials for production. Production is expected to commence in the first quarter of 2026.
What people are saying
"We are very excited and grateful for the trust placed in us by First Solar, as it aligns with our goal of capitalizing on growth opportunities in the North American trade region based on our technological strength and collaboration with our customers. This agreement will allow us to participate in and develop the renewable energy sector in America," says Vitro CEO Adrian Sada.
“As we continue to grow our domestic manufacturing footprint it is essential that our domestic value chain scales with us,” says Mike Koralewski, chief supply chain officer, First Solar. “We are pleased to expand our contract with Vitro, which gives us access to a new source of American-made glass for the front sheets in our solar panels and supports our efforts to build resilience into our U.S. supply chains.”
"We take great pride in having earned this vote of confidence from First Solar. We are confident that our experience, technological capabilities and innovative product development will contribute to their efforts to increase clean and renewable energy capacity in the U.S. and more broadly in North America," says Ricardo Maiz, president, Vitro Architectural business unit.
