SpaceX Plans to Build a 10-GW Solar Factory in Austin

Elon Musk's SpaceX plans to build a large-scale solar cell manufacturing plant with a capacity of 10 gigawatts near Austin, Texas, to support the power supply for its ambitious space artificial intelligence data center blueprint.

According to Bloomberg, the plant site is located in Bastrop County, Texas, and is designed as a two-story structure with an annual production capacity of approximately 5 gigawatts of solar cells per floor. SpaceX detailed this plan in its initial public offering documents.

Previous media reports indicated that SpaceX was constructing a solar manufacturing facility of over 1 million square feet.

Musk stated at the World Economic Forum in Davos in January that solar energy is the key solution to addressing the energy bottleneck in artificial intelligence infrastructure, and proposed to increase the United States' solar manufacturing capacity to 100 gigawatts per year within the next three years, a figure that would dwarf the current domestic capacity.

Bloomberg reported that Tesla has initiated solar cell manufacturing layouts across various locations in the United States. Domestic manufacturers have previously filed lawsuits regarding unfair trade practices, accusing cheap solar products from China and Southeast Asian countries of impacting the local market. The largest solar manufacturer in the United States, First Solar, has an annual domestic production capacity of around 14 gigawatts.

A recent report published by the American Clean Energy Association indicates that the United States can produce over 60 gigawatts of solar panels annually, but most rely on imported silicon-based cells, with only three to four domestic silicon battery factories currently in operation.

Abby Sainsbury, SpaceX's Director of Solar Production, recently revealed on LinkedIn that the company is building "one of the world's most advanced solar cell factories" in Bastrop and has begun recruitment.

Additionally, SpaceX also plans to establish a Megapack battery production line near the Burisma Bridge in Broncoville, Texas. Electrek previously reported that Tesla expects to rapidly increase capital expenditure to over $25 billion this year.

In April of this year, Tesla's Chief Financial Officer, Zachary Nanno, confirmed in a telephone meeting with investors that the company has begun to order solar manufacturing equipment. However, according to the New York Times, the Chinese government has suspended the export of end-line solar manufacturing equipment to Tesla, and Musk hopes to resolve this issue with the Trump administration soon; it is unclear whether it will be successful.

This month, SpaceX also applied for competitive enterprise zone designation in Bastrop, which would provide some tax relief. The area is also home to Musk's tunneling company, Boring Company, and xAI.