SEG Solar Tomball: $950M Solar Cell Plant Planned Near Houston, 700 Jobs

SEG Solar plans to build a $950 million solar cell factory at its SEG Solar Tomball campus near Houston, adding 4 gigawatts (GW) of annual heterojunction (HJT) cell production in two 2 GW phases targeted for 2028 and 2029. The Houston-based manufacturer said the plant is expected to create more than 700 local jobs (SEG Solar).

SEG announced on October 29, 2026, that it had signed a land agreement for the facility at its Tomball Industrial Campus. The cell plant would sit next to the company's existing Tomball #1 module plant (SEG Solar). Construction timing and financing details were not disclosed.

What Happened

SEG already assembles solar modules in the Houston area. Its release describes Tomball #1 as an operating 4 GW module plant and Tomball #2 as a 4.6 GW module plant under construction (SEG Solar). Adding cell production would let SEG supply its own modules with U.S.-made cells, which the company says will help developers and asset owners meet domestic content requirements (SEG Solar).

CEO Jim Wood said bringing HJT cell manufacturing to the U.S. would give customers a more domestic supply chain with clearer sourcing and one company standing behind the product (SEG Solar). The release does not say where the plant's silicon wafers will come from, does not name a builder and does not give the site's acreage.

Once the campus is complete, SEG says it will include cell, module and key component manufacturing, warehousing, a research and development center, a certified testing laboratory and planned production lines for EVA encapsulant and junction boxes (SEG Solar).

How the Tomball Campus Has Grown

The cell plant is the latest step in a fast buildout. In June, Solar Power World reported that SEG was building a third panel assembly facility in Texas, a 4.6 GW plant covering 1.15 million square feet including an assembly factory and warehouse. Construction was expected to finish in March 2027, with commercial production planned for May 2027 (Solar Power World). At that time, SEG said it was evaluating U.S. sites for a dedicated HJT cell factory, which is what it has now announced (Solar Power World).

In August, Solar Power World reported that SEG had inaugurated a 4 GW panel factory outside Houston: a facility of more than 500,000 square feet built for $200 million, with four production lines for HJT modules and commercial operations expected to begin in the third quarter of 2026 (Solar Power World). Solar Power World described that plant as SEG's second U.S. panel assembly site, after a 2 GW facility in Houston, and said the third factory would bring SEG's U.S. module capacity to 10.6 GW a year (Solar Power World; Solar Power World). SEG's own numbering in its October release refers to the Tomball plants as Tomball #1 and Tomball #2 (SEG Solar).

Where Things Stand

The announcement covers a land agreement and a planned investment, not a groundbreaking. SEG has not disclosed when construction will begin or how the plant will be financed (SEG Solar). If the phase targets hold, the first 2 GW of cell capacity would come online in 2028 and the second in 2029.

The project adds to a string of large manufacturing commitments in Texas this fall, including Carrier's $600 million chiller plant in Fort Worth and Blue Origin's planned campus in Hutto.

Implications for Owners, Developers, Contractors and Subs

A cell plant adds a manufacturing step that SEG's existing Tomball module plants do not perform. The company's module facilities have been described largely in terms of assembly and warehouse space, as with the third factory's combined assembly and warehouse footprint (Solar Power World). SEG has not released design details, building size or process requirements for the cell plant, so the split between shell and process scope is not yet known (SEG Solar).

The phased approach, two 2 GW stages a year apart, suggests a construction program that could keep crews on the campus for several years, alongside the Tomball #2 module plant already under construction (SEG Solar). For Houston-area subcontractors, a campus with module, cell, component, testing and research uses offers repeat work on one site.

For developers of solar projects, the domestic content angle is the selling point. SEG says modules built with its own U.S.-made cells will help customers meet domestic content requirements and improve project economics, though it did not name specific thresholds (SEG Solar).

What to Watch

• A construction start date, builder selection and financing for the cell plant, none of which has been announced (SEG Solar).
• Completion of Tomball #2, which Solar Power World reported was targeted for March 2027 (Solar Power World).
• Any state or local incentive agreements tied to the 700 projected jobs.

Bottom Line

SEG Solar Tomball is turning into a full manufacturing campus, with the planned $950 million cell plant joining existing and under-construction module factories. The next milestones are a construction schedule and a builder for the cell plant.

Key Questions

What is SEG Solar building in Tomball, Texas?

SEG Solar plans a 4 GW heterojunction solar cell manufacturing plant at its Tomball Industrial Campus near Houston (SEG Solar).

How much will the SEG Solar Tomball cell plant cost?

SEG Solar's planned Tomball solar cell plant is a $950 million investment (SEG Solar).

How many jobs will the SEG Solar Tomball plant create?

SEG Solar expects the Tomball cell plant to create more than 700 local jobs (SEG Solar).

When will the SEG Solar cell plant open?

SEG Solar is targeting the first 2 GW phase of the Tomball cell plant for 2028 and the second 2 GW phase for 2029. A construction start date has not been disclosed (SEG Solar).

Related Coverage

• Carrier to Invest $600M in Fort Worth Chiller Plant, 1,500 Jobs
• Blue Origin Plans $550M Texas Campus as Six Plant Projects Top $950 Million
• Clearway Starts $1.5B, 650 MW Swan Solar Project in Missouri With Blattner
• Grid Equipment Factory Wave: Seven U.S. Plant Projects Total $1.84 Billion

Image credit: SEG Solar. Image from the source article.

Sources

• SEG Solar, SEG Solar press release on planned 4 GW HJT cell manufacturing facility in Tomball, Texas (October 29, 2026), https://www.segsolar.com/press/news/172
• Solar Power World, SEG Solar is building a third solar panel assembly facility in Texas, https://www.solarpowerworldonline.com/2026/06/seg-solar-is-building-a-third-solar-panel-assembly-facility-in-texas/
• Solar Power World, SEG completes construction on 4-GW solar panel factory outside Houston, https://solarpowerworldonline.com/2026/08/seg-completes-construction-on-4-gw-solar-panel-factory-outside-houston