Apple is all set to grow its renewable energy-powered laboratory in Mesa, Arizona, which will produce sapphire crystals - the type used in iPhone 5s fingerprint scanners. With this the tech titan will be also creating 2,000 manufacturing, engineering and construction jobs in the country.
This is Apple's second plant in the U.S. this year. The company is beginning to shift production back in the home market since the closure of its manufacturing plant 10 years back.
The initiative is a joint venture with GT Advanced Technologies, which is a crystal growth equipment specialist. The companies have signed a multi-year agreement that will enable GT Advanced to provide furnaces to make sapphire. The material is more scratch-resistant than glass and is being used in watch faces. They might soon find their way in display screens of Apple products.
"Apple will have an incredibly positive economic impact for Arizona," said Arizona Governor Janice Brewer. "Their investment in renewable energy will also be greening our power grid, and creating significant new solar and geothermal power sources for the state."
The project has been designed in collaboration with local utility Salt River Project which uses solar and geothermal energy.
Apple will own the building initially and furnaces will be supplied by GT Advanced. As down payment, Apple will have to pay $578 million, which will be reimbursed over the duration of next five years.
A research from IHS Suppli found that the demand for sapphire has increased after Apple started using it to protect camera lenses last year. This deal will ensure Apple's stock of the ever-growing demand of the material in industrial market.
"We are proud to expand our domestic manufacturing initiative with a new facility in Arizona, creating more than 2,000 jobs in engineering, manufacturing and construction," Apple said in a statement. "This new plant will make components for Apple products and it will run on 100% renewable energy from day one."
