Canadian Premium Sand Expands into US with New Glass Manufacturing Facility

Nov 06, 2024

Canadian Premium Sand Inc. (CPS) announced plans to open a glass manufacturing facility in the United States. CPS manufactures pattern glass for solar panels.

Company officials say an increased desire for solar glass and the U.S.’s adoption of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) prompted the move. Officials explain that the IRA has resulted “in strong growth in solar installations and onshoring efforts within the solar supply chain. As a result, solar panel manufacturing capacity is expected to increase from 12 gigawatts (GW) in 2022 to 52GW by the end of 2025.”

To facilitate the move, CPS evaluated sites in the U.S. with existing and underutilized buildings, utility supply, logistics infrastructure and environmental permits to support a pattern solar glass manufacturing operation. It has since selected a site that meets the criteria and is preparing to re-purpose a former glass manufacturing facility in the U.S. to produce 4GW per year of solar glass. Officials say the company is discussing jointly developing the site with a potential glass manufacturing partner. The partner would bring glass manufacturing expertise, purchasing power for equipment and raw materials and in-house engineering capability.

CPS has established a U.S. subsidiary, CPS Glass USA Corp., and has applied for the U.S. Department of Energy’s investment tax credit. The allocation decision for this application is expected in early 2025.