Nextracker opens manufacturing line in Texas to counter supply chain disruptions

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
JM Steel workers at the Nextracker-dedicated production line. Image: Nextracker.

US tracker manufacturer Nextracker has responded to global supply chain disruptions by inaugurating a new production line in Texas within a campus from steel producer Steel Dynamics.

Located near Corpus Christi, the line will manufacture tracker components for use in solar projects across the south of the US and will have a multi-gigawatt annual tracker capacity when fully operational.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

Nextracker is migrating to domestic production to stabilise pricing and achieve on-time delivery, said the company’s CEO and founder Dan Shugar. “Customers want protection from steel and logistics cost volatility, and logistics delays associated with shipping, containers, and ports.”

The move by the manufacturer to shore up supply disruptions comes as research suggests US utility-scale solar additions will contract this year as volatile commodity prices and supply chain uncertainty lead to project delays and cancellations.

Nextracker said it will have a dedicated supply of critical materials in one of the fastest-growing and biggest solar markets, with Texas having leapfrogged California last year as the top-ranked US state for solar capacity additions, deploying more than 6GW in 2021.

Giving Nextracker the ability to service key markets by truck, while also providing easy access to railroads and a deepwater port, the new line is the result of a collaboration with JM Steel, which operates a 97,000-square-foot facility at Steel Dynamics’ site.

The partners touted the sustainable production processes at the Steel Dynamics campus, with all steel used for the trackers made with the company’s Electric Arc Furnace technology, which utilises recycled or scrap steel as a raw material.

“US steel manufacturers like Steel Dynamics Incorporated have a much cleaner, lower carbon production processes than most overseas manufacturers,” Shugar said.

It was announced earlier this year that Nextracker will be spun out from parent company Flex after it secured a US$500 million equity sale, valuing the manufacturer at around US$3 billion.

The company has since launched a new single-axis tracker, dubbed NX Horizon-XTR, that is designed to expand the addressable market of solar projects on sites with sloped and uneven land.

Read Next

June 26, 2025
A round-up of news from the US solar sector this week, including Akuo, Meta and RWE.
June 26, 2025
Nextracker will supply solar tracker systems to a 550MW solar PV project in the Greek province of Western Macedonia, owned by Greek renewables developer PPC Renewables.
June 26, 2025
Adapture Renewables and Meta have signed two EAPAs that will see the latter acquire power from a 360MW Texas solar portfolio.
June 20, 2025
Akuo has signed a 15-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Imerys to develop a solar power plant in Texas.
June 18, 2025
The solar manufacturing and module purchasing community met in Napa to answer the question of 'what next?' for module supply in uncertain times.
June 18, 2025
T1 Energy has selected a local construction company, and secured a tax abatement package, to develop a Texas cell manufacturing factory.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
June 30, 2025
10am PST / 6pm BST
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico