The facility will produce solar PV Modules and Medium Voltage Power Stations, and supply Samsung's Ontario solar projects, including the 100 megawatt (MW) Grand Renewable Energy Park in Haldimand County, the 100 MW Sol-Luce Kingston Solar PV project in Kingston and Loyalist Township, and future solar projects under the auspices of the Canadian Global Emissions Interpretation Centre.
The new facility will also be a hub for Canadian Solar to conduct research and product development associated with solar energy generation.
The Canadian Solar plant also ensures Samsung can move forward with engineering, procurement and construction jobs in its project communities around Ontario. In total, Samsung's GEIA project will create 9,000 renewable energy jobs across the province.
"Samsung believes that renewable energy is a very important part of eliminating our dependence on dirty coal production and protecting the air that we breathe," said Ki-Jung Kim, Executive Vice President of Samsung C&T. "We are very pleased to create 200 green jobs in London and 9,000 total jobs in communities across Ontario that have been hit hard by the global recession."
Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Solar, expressed pride in the partnership.
"This latest transaction highlights our rapidly growing downstream solar power solutions business, as we develop manufacturing capabilities for Balance of Plant equipment, such as Medium Voltage Stations, while also conducting research in project solutions areas to reduce total project cost and improve performance," he said. "We are leveraging the scale afforded by our global leadership position, our experience and extensive resources to ultimately benefit Ontario economically through significant job creation and to provide a much needed sustainable, renewable source of energy."
Samsung and its partners will develop 300 MW of clean, renewable solar power in Ontario, part of a commitment to invest $5-billion in the development of 1,369 MW of renewable energy.
Canadian Solar becomes Samsung's fourth renewable energy manufacturing partner in Ontario, joining Siemens in Tillsonburg, CS Wind in Windsor, and SMA in Toronto. Together, the four manufacturing facilities will employ 900 manufacturing workers. Samsung will support all of its manufacturing partners' efforts to develop export markets beyond the GEIA project.
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