$70m solar cell factory planned for Canberra
Source: ABC News, Mon Oct 13, 2008
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/13/2388882.htm
A company is planning to build a $70 million solar cell factory in Canberra which could generate more than 100 jobs. Spark Solar Australia hopes to build the factory next year with sites in Hume and Mitchell being considered. The company has also listed possible sites in Queanbeyan and Wollongong. The factory will produce solar cells used in the manufacture of solar panels.
CEO Michelle McCann says most of the factory’s production would be exported initially. She says the market for solar cells is enormous and they expect to pre-sell almost all of their output for the first five years. Dr McCann says the company is seeking help from the ACT Government before committing to Canberra.
“We have had a talk to the ACT Government and we would love to be located in Canberra,” she said. “We’re from Canberra, there’s good reasons to be located to both the ANU and and the University of NSW and what we’d really like the new Canberra government to do is to offer us a bank guarantee on a loan.”