Highland Materials to begin polysilicon plant construction in H2 2026

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
highland materials manufacturing
Commercial operations of the 16,000MT polysilicon plant are expected in late 2027 or very early 2028. Image: Highland Materials

US polysilicon company Highland Materials has aimed to begin construction at its polysilicon plant in the second half of 2026.

Richard Rast, CEO at Highland Materials, told PV Tech that this would be followed by reaching a commercial operation date in late 2027 or very early 2028.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

The company recently secured 140 acres of land at the former Phipps Bend nuclear plant in northeast Tennessee. The project aims to build a plant with an initial 16,000MT annual nameplate capacity, with the goal of expanding to 20,000MT in four years. This follows the company securing US$255.6 million in 48C tax credits in April 2024 for the construction of a polysilicon plant in the US.

“Fortunately for us, the equipment is predominantly coming from the United States, so the issues that are happening now in the trade world probably will not affect us very much. As far as our ability to complete the construction, we have costs that are set and we’re essentially prepared to move into final design and begin construction,” added Rast.

Rast spoke with PV Tech Premium (subscription required) about polysilicon innovation and how the company’s proprietary technology aims to compete with the Siemens process and bring more US-made capacity in an industry dominated by Chinese companies.

The interview is part of an ongoing series of conversations with speakers from the upcoming PV CellTech USA Conference, which will be held on 7-8 October 2025, in San Francisco. More details regarding the event and how to attend can be accessed here. Previous and upcoming interviews will be available here (a subscription is required to read Premium articles) and will cover the entire US manufacturing supply chain from polysilicon to modules.

7 October 2025
San Francisco Bay Area, USA
PV Tech has been running an annual PV CellTech Conference since 2016. PV CellTech USA, on 7-8 October 2025 is our third PV CellTech conference dedicated to the U.S. manufacturing sector. The events in 2023 and 2024 were a sell out success and 2025 will once again gather the key stakeholders from PV manufacturing, equipment/materials, policy-making and strategy, capital equipment investment and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out PV manufacturing in the U.S. out to 2030 and beyond.
21 October 2025
New York, USA
Returning for its 12th edition, Solar and Storage Finance USA Summit remains the annual event where decision-makers at the forefront of solar and storage projects across the United States and capital converge. Featuring the most active solar and storage transactors, join us for a packed two-days of deal-making, learning and networking.
16 June 2026
Napa, USA
PV Tech has been running PV ModuleTech Conferences since 2017. PV ModuleTech USA, on 16-17 June 2026, will be our fifth PV ModulelTech conference dedicated to the U.S. utility scale solar sector. The event will gather the key stakeholders from solar developers, solar asset owners and investors, PV manufacturing, policy-making and and all interested downstream channels and third-party entities. The goal is simple: to map out the PV module supply channels to the U.S. out to 2027 and beyond.

Read Next

September 4, 2025
Gavin Newsom has signed an executive order to accelerate the permitting of energy generation projects that could be set to lose IRA support.
Premium
September 4, 2025
Analysis: A Biden-era policy to suspend the payment of duties on Southeast Asian module imports looks set to backfire badly on an already under-pressure US solar industry.
Premium
September 4, 2025
PV Talk: Highland Materials' CEO Richard Rast explains how the company aims to compete in the polysilicon landscape through US innovation.
September 4, 2025
US tracker manufacturer FTC Solar has launched an automated 80 degree hail stow angle for its flagship 1P Pioneer tracker.
September 3, 2025
US residential solar prices have remained at historic lows in the first half of the year despite market uncertainty and continued high interest rates.
September 2, 2025
The Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems (ISE) will build a pilot solar cell line in Germany to support US manufacturer Talon PV’s efforts to establish solar cell capacity in the US.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines