09:36 AM EDT, 09/26/2024 (MT Newswires) -- First Solar ( FSLR ) said Thursday that it has launched a $1.1 billion solar manufacturing plant in Lawrence County, Alabama, adding 3.5 gigawatts of annual solar nameplate production capacity in the US.

The company said the new fully vertically integrated facility, expected to create more than 800 jobs, transforms raw materials into ready-to-ship thin-film solar panels.

The expansion, along with existing factories in Ohio and a forthcoming plant in Louisiana, is expected to bring First Solar's ( FSLR ) US annual nameplate capacity to more than 14 gigawatts by the end of 2026, with a global capacity of 25 gigawatts, First Solar ( FSLR ) said.

Shares of the company were up 5.6% in early Thursday trading.

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