Visual Basic code won't open Microsoft Excel (Office 2010)

I'm trying to write some Visual Basic code in Visual Studio 2012 that will be able to open and make changes to an existing Microsoft Excel workbook (Office 2010). This is the code I've come up with:

Dim BillingCalender As String = *Path to Excel Workbook*

    Dim xlsApp As Excel.Application = New Excel.Application

    Dim xlsWorkBooks As Excel.Workbooks = xlsApp.Workbooks

    Dim xlsWB As Excel.Workbook = xlsWorkBooks.Open(BillingCalender)

However, whenever I try to run this, a new Excel Workbook is opened and the following error is given:

An add-in could not be found or could not be loaded

Could not create an instance of startup object ReCreateEmpty.ReCreateEmpty in assembly ReCreateEmpty, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null.


************** Exception Text **************
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime.CannotCreateStartupObjectException: Could not create an instance of startup object ReCreateEmpty.ReCreateEmpty in assembly ReCreateEmpty, Version=1.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=null. ---> System.Reflection.TargetInvocationException: Exception has been thrown by the target of an invocation. ---> System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException: Retrieving the COM class factory for component with CLSID {00024500-0000-0000-C000-000000000046} failed due to the following error: 80080005 Server execution failed (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80080005 (CO_E_SERVER_EXEC_FAILURE)).
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.RemotingServices.AllocateUninitializedObject(RuntimeType objectType)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Activation.ActivationServices.CreateInstance(RuntimeType serverType)
   at System.Runtime.Remoting.Activation.ActivationServices.IsCurrentContextOK(RuntimeType serverType, Object[] props, Boolean bNewObj)
   at System.RuntimeTypeHandle.CreateInstance(RuntimeType type, Boolean publicOnly, Boolean noCheck, Boolean& canBeCached, RuntimeMethodHandleInternal& ctor, Boolean& bNeedSecurityCheck)
   at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceSlow(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.RuntimeType.CreateInstanceDefaultCtor(Boolean publicOnly, Boolean skipCheckThis, Boolean fillCache, StackCrawlMark& stackMark)
   at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type, Boolean nonPublic)
   at System.Activator.CreateInstance(Type type)
   at ReCreateEmpty.ReCreateEmpty..ctor(ApplicationFactory factory, IServiceProvider serviceProvider) in C:\Users\c33426s\Documents\Visual Studio 2012\Projects\ReCreateEmpty\ReCreateEmpty\ThisAddIn.vb:line 6
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at System.RuntimeMethodHandle.InvokeMethod(Object target, Object[] arguments, Signature sig, Boolean constructor)
   at System.Reflection.RuntimeConstructorInfo.Invoke(BindingFlags invokeAttr, Binder binder, Object[] parameters, CultureInfo culture)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Office.Runtime.DomainCreator.ExecuteCustomization.CreateEntryPoint(String entryPointTypeName)
   --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Office.Runtime.DomainCreator.ExecuteCustomization.CreateEntryPoint(String entryPointTypeName)
   at Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Office.Runtime.DomainCreator.ExecuteCustomization.Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Office.Runtime.Interop.IExecuteCustomization2.LoadEntryPoints(IntPtr serviceProvider)


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34209 built by: FX452RTMGDR
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework/v4.0.30319/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Office.Runtime
    Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 10.0.60724.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Office.Runtime/v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Office.Runtime.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Core
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34209 built by: FX452RTMGDR
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Core/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Core.dll
----------------------------------------
System
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34294 built by: FX452RTMGDR
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Configuration
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34209 built by: FX452RTMGDR
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Configuration/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Configuration.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Xml
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34283 built by: FX452RTMGDR
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Security
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34291 built by: FX452RTMGDR
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Security/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Security.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Hosting
    Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 10.0.60724.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Hosting/v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Hosting.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime
    Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 10.0.60724.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime/v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.Runtime.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Deployment
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34280 built by: FX452RTMGDR
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Deployment/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Deployment.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.ServerDocument
    Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 10.0.60724.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.ServerDocument/v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.VisualStudio.Tools.Applications.ServerDocument.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Windows.Forms
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34251 built by: FX452RTMGDR
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Windows.Forms/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Windows.Forms.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Drawing
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34285 built by: FX452RTMGDR
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Drawing/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/System.Drawing.dll
----------------------------------------
System.Xml.Linq
    Assembly Version: 4.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.0.30319.34209 built by: FX452RTMGDR
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/System.Xml.Linq/v4.0_4.0.0.0__b77a5c561934e089/System.Xml.Linq.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.Office.Tools
    Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 10.0.60724.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.Office.Tools/v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.Office.Tools.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.Office.Tools.Excel.Implementation
    Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 10.0.60724.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.Office.Tools.Excel.Implementation/v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.Office.Tools.Excel.Implementation.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.Office.Tools.Common.Implementation
    Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 10.0.60724.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.Office.Tools.Common.Implementation/v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.Office.Tools.Common.Implementation.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.Office.Tools.Common
    Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 10.0.60724.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.Office.Tools.Common/v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.Office.Tools.Common.dll
----------------------------------------
ReCreateEmpty
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 1.0.0.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Users/c33426s/Documents/Visual%20Studio%202012/Projects/ReCreateEmpty/ReCreateEmpty/bin/Debug/ReCreateEmpty.DLL
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.Office.Tools.Common.v4.0.Utilities
    Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 10.0.30319.1
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Users/c33426s/Documents/Visual%20Studio%202012/Projects/ReCreateEmpty/ReCreateEmpty/bin/Debug/Microsoft.Office.Tools.Common.v4.0.Utilities.DLL
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.Office.Tools.Excel
    Assembly Version: 10.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 10.0.60724.0
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/Microsoft.Net/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.Office.Tools.Excel/v4.0_10.0.0.0__b03f5f7f11d50a3a/Microsoft.Office.Tools.Excel.dll
----------------------------------------
Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel
    Assembly Version: 14.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 14.0.4756.1000
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel/14.0.0.0__71e9bce111e9429c/Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.dll
----------------------------------------
office
    Assembly Version: 14.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 14.0.4760.1000
    CodeBase: file:///C:/Windows/assembly/GAC_MSIL/office/14.0.0.0__71e9bce111e9429c/office.dll

Could someone help me understand what the issue could be and how I can circumvent it?