There is more evidence that JinkoSolar is the company currently in negotiations with the city of Jacksonville, Florida, over incentives to establish manufacturing there. This week a source close to the deal revealed that the Chinese PV module maker is the company code-named “Project Volt” in Jacksonville city documents.
This follows on from a January 8 article by the Jacksonville Daily Record, which notes that JinkoSolar fits the description of the company, referencing two advertisements by the company for human resources jobs in Jacksonville.
According to Jacksonville City Council records, “Project Volt” plans to set up its first U.S. manufacturing in Jacksonville, as well as establishing its national headquarters in the city. JinkoSolar currently operates a U.S. office in San Francisco through a subsidiary.
JinkoSolar is seeking a total incentive package of tax refunds, credits, and grants from Jacksonville and the State of Florida for a total of $54 million. This includes state grants for hiring veterans.
On Wednesday night, the Finance Committee of the Jacksonville City Council approved with amendments a resolution for the first $28 million in incentives from the city and the state, which will be sent back to the council for a final vote.
If JinkoSolar and Jacksonville are able to work out a deal, construction on new factories would begin by the end of June and should be completed by the end of 2019, although it is unclear when the company would start ramping production.
The factories and U.S. headquarters would cost $410 million and employ 800 workers. It is also not clear whether they would make cells, modules or both; however cells are expected to be a bottleneck under any tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.
JinkoSolar did not respond to pv magazine requests for comment.
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