Officials with the Hemlock Semiconductor plant in north Clarksville have announced major layoffs before the plant ever begins full operations.

The Leaf Chronicle reports the plant will lay off almost 300 of its 400 employees at the 1.2 billion dollar facility that backs up to the Todd County line. Hemlock President Andrew Tometich told the paper it remains their “full intent” to use the plant and that they look forward to beginning operations. He did concede that may not happen this year.

The plant is supposed to manufacture polycrystalline silicon, which is an ingredient in solar energy panels. Austin Peay State University and Hopkinsville Community College developed academic programs to train individuals to work at Hemlock and a new building was constructed on the campus of Austin Peay with expensive equipment similar to that used at Hemlock.
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01/14/2013/am