Wacker Chemie AG of Munich, Germany and Wacker Chemical Corporation, Adrian, Michigan announced in February 2009 that the company would build a new facility for the manufacture of hyperpure polycrystalline silicon in Bradley County, Tennessee. Polycrystalline silicon is a primary component used in the manufacture of solar panels and semiconductors.
The company purchased land in Bradley County, Tennessee for this purpose for almost $20 million dollars. Covering approximately 550 acres, the Bradley County site offered adequate space for the new, integrated, silicon-based manufacturing site.
Wacker expects a mid-term investment in Cleveland, Tennessee of approximately $1 billion to establish the new plant, resulting in the creation of about 500 new jobs. The size of the site, the availability of reliable power from the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), over-the-fence supply of chlorine from the adjacent OLIN Corporation facility and excellent transportation infrastructure made this an attractive site location. In addition, electrical energy costs in Tennessee are uniquely affordable at rates approximately half of comparable sites in Germany.
As part of its investment, Wacker will qualify for statutory incentives on the state and local level, including the FastTrack Infrastructure Development Program, the FastTrack Job Training Assistance Program and the Super Jobs Tax Credit.
“Under Governor Phil Bredesen’s leadership, we’ve developed a strategy for the creation of ‘green collar’ jobs in Tennessee,” said ECD Commissioner Matt Kisber. “That strategy has resulted in more than $2.5 billion dollars in capital investment and over 1,000 new jobs being announced in the past year and we truly believe Tennessee is well-positioned for the growth of a sustainable economy in the U.S.”