Controversial Silfab Solar project to temporarily halt production, company says

Silfab Solar will temporarily idle production at its Fort Mill plant beginning Wednesday, Aug. 5, a company spokesperson said Friday.

The shutdown has nothing to do with community opposition to its operations, the spokesperson said in a statement. The plant is idling because “certain materials and components required for production” are temporarily unavailable, according to the statement. Production will resume Tuesday, Aug. 11, the spokesperson said.

Shipping, customer service and other operations will continue during the shutdown, and Silfab will use the time to finish preventive maintenance and system upgrades, according to the company.

Silfab Solar on Thursday warned York County that forcing the controversial company to move would prompt lawsuits and have a “chilling effect” on the county recruiting business, The Herald reported.

The Canadian solar panel manufacturer released the statement late Wednesday in a letter from Silfab President and CEO Paolo Maccario to York County Council. In March, two chemical releases at Silfab led to temporary closures at Flint Hill Elementary School, and heightened community concerns.

The letter preceded a meeting Thursday in York where council, in a five-hour private executive session, discussed Silfab and a recent court order limiting where solar panel manufacturing can operate. Council took no action.

This story was originally published August 1, 2026 at 1:41 PM with the headline “Controversial Silfab Solar project to temporarily halt production, company says.”