Convalt Energy is a leading energy company that develops renewable power projects and solar manufacturing operations. Convalt’s business spans solar cell and module production, electricity generation, solar panel recycling and data center infrastructure. The company’s manufacturing plans center on heterojunction technology, which uses layers of silicon with different electrical properties to convert sunlight into electricity. Planned products include solar cells, finished modules and solar glass. Convalt’s project portfolio also spans North America, Africa and Asia, with activities ranging from solar power generation to waste-to-energy facilities and proposed digital infrastructure.

Convalt previously planned a solar manufacturing plant in Watertown, New York, after acquiring equipment from the former SolarWorld facility. The project did not reach production, and Solar Power World reported that Convalt was repaying a $1.05 million loan from the local government. The company has since pursued Project Golden Eagle, a proposed manufacturing campus in Gallup, New Mexico. The project would produce solar cells, modules and glass, but construction depends on financing, permits and other approvals. The Gallup proposal represents a separate effort to establish U.S. solar manufacturing capacity, rather than an operating factory.

Gallup Campus Targets Solar Production

On June 16, 2026, Convalt signed a binding purchase and sale agreement with Gallup Land Partners for the proposed manufacturing campus in Gallup. The project could involve up to $5 billion in investment across multiple phases, with approximately 900 permanent jobs and more than 1,000 construction jobs planned. Construction was expected to extend through 2028. The proposed campus would include solar cell, module and glass production, along with up to 1 gigawatt of behind-the-meter power generation. On-site generation could provide electricity for manufacturing operations, although the final generation technology, financing and construction schedule remain subject to further project work.

The proposed campus is designed for annual production capacity of 3.6 gigawatts of solar cells and 3 gigawatts of modules. Production would use heterojunction technology, which combines crystalline silicon with thin layers of amorphous silicon to improve solar-cell performance. The planned investment would establish Gallup as a manufacturing base for Convalt’s U.S. operations. The agreement also provides for Gallup Land Partners to become a Convalt shareholder. The announced investment, production capacity and employment figures remain projections. Financing, engineering, permitting and other approvals must be completed before the campus can move into construction and production.

Lesotho Partnership Links Power and AI Infrastructure

On June 8, 2026, Convalt signed a binding memorandum of agreement with the Government of Lesotho to pursue renewable energy and digital infrastructure projects. The proposed program includes up to 1.2 gigawatts of power generation capacity, approximately 4.6 gigawatts of solar generation and up to 4 gigawatt-hours of battery storage, alongside a large-scale data center project. Planned solar installations include ground-mounted and floating systems. The memorandum establishes a framework for further work, but the projects require feasibility studies, financing, regulatory approvals, permits and definitive agreements before construction can proceed. A proposed subsidiary, Convalt International, is expected to hold the company’s international assets, subject to corporate and regulatory processes.

The Kobong project became part of the Lesotho program in July, when the U.S. Embassy in Maseru hosted an event marking approval of the memorandum of agreement. The proposed $6.2 billion investment, equivalent to 100 billion maloti, covers hydropower and AI data center infrastructure. The embassy described it as the largest foreign investment in Lesotho’s history. The project could add domestic electricity generation and provide power for energy-intensive digital infrastructure. Potential solar module deliveries could begin in late 2028, subject to project execution and final supply agreements. No final solar module supply agreements had been executed when the June announcement was published. The overall program remains dependent on financing, technical assessments and regulatory approval.

Power Generation and Solar Recycling

Convalt’s development portfolio includes River Drivers Solar, a proposed 12-megawatt power-generation project in Maine, and a Northern Maine data center project under development. In New Mexico, a solar panel recycling project is planned with capacity associated with 1 gigawatt of modules. Solar panel recycling can recover materials from retired equipment for reuse or further processing. The New Mexico project’s final design, processing capacity and schedule have not been established in the information available. These projects extend Convalt’s business beyond manufacturing into electricity generation, digital infrastructure and the recovery of materials from used solar panels.

International projects include a 7.5-megawatt waste-to-energy plant in Andhra Pradesh, India, listed as operating, and a second project of the same planned capacity under development. Other projects in the portfolio include a 1,200-megawatt solar project in Laos, a 120-megawatt solar project in Chad, and a 30-megawatt rural electrification program across Chad. A 60-megawatt solar initiative covering seven cities in Sierra Leone is also under development. Convalt previously sold its 300-megawatt Mandalay solar project in Myanmar. These projects occupy different stages: an operating plant is distinct from a project under development, a signed memorandum, or an asset that has been sold. Delivery of the proposed manufacturing and energy projects will depend on financing, permits, final commercial agreements and construction progress.

ABOUT | HARI ACHUTHAN

Hari Achuthan is the founder, president and chief executive officer of Convalt Energy, a U.S. energy company developing renewable power projects, solar manufacturing facilities and energy infrastructure. He also founded ACO Investment Group, Oxaio Networks and DigiCollect Corporation. Before establishing these businesses, Achuthan worked at Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, where he led the global pension strategy and transition management business, and at Credit Suisse Asset Management, where he covered hedge fund, real estate and private equity strategies. In 2009, he was recognized as an emerging leader at Credit Suisse Asset Management and named one of the “Rising Stars in Public Pensions” by Money Management Letter. Achuthan holds a bachelor’s degree in applied economics from Hofstra University, where he played football from 1991 to 1994. He has also lectured at Louisiana State University’s business school and published papers on transition management in Institutional Investor and Pensions & Investments.