SolarWorld Opens Largest Solar Production Facility in the USA
German Company Creates 1,000 New Jobs in Oregon
HILLSBORO, Oregon., Oct 17, 2008
Source: SolarWorld AG press release /DGAP
http://www.solarworld.de/Press.30.0.html?&L=1
SolarWorld AG is opening the largest solar cell production facility in the USA today. In Hillsboro, Oregon, the German company is investing 500 million US dollars in highly advanced technology. In an integrated manufacturing process wafer-thin silicon discs, the so-called solar wafers, as well as solar cells will be produced with an initial capacity of 100 Megawatt (MW) annually. At their final destination – on the roof or in a larger power plant – this equates to the electricity requirements of 100,000 people. The company announced that the capacity will be expanded to 500 Megawatt in the next three years.
In the USA the demand for clean and non-imported energy is massively increasing. This growth is also continuing against the current downward trend of the US economy. Frank H. Asbeck, Chairman and CEO of SolarWorld AG: ‘In 2009 we are expecting the market to more than double to about 1,000 Megawatt.’ In this context solar energy will also clearly win the day against the current trend in the US economy. Asbeck: ‘There is no safer investment than that into solar energy. For the house owner it means that with the power generation on his own roof or plot of land he can render himself independent of the rising electricity prices. For us as a company it means that we can further expand our position of leadership in the world in this important technology of the future.’
The investment at the Hillsboro location will create 1,000 new jobs by the year 2011. 250 people have already been employed for the start of production today. ‘We are seeing an extraordinary enthusiasm for solar energy and for our company here in Oregon’, says Asbeck. At today’s opening ceremony the State of Oregon will be represented by Governor Ted
Kulongoski.
SolarWorld AG with its headquarters in Bonn/Germany has been the major solar technology producer on the American continent since taking over the
solar activities of the Shell oil company. In addition to the new site in Oregon the group also operates a manufacturing facility for solar modules in Camarillo, California. The main manufacturing site of the company continues to be Freiberg in Saxony/Germany. Currently a new production facility for solar wafers is being built here at a cost of 350 million euro with the objective of doubling the existing production capacity to 1,000 Megawatt. For the Asian region SolarWorld is building a module factory in South Korea that will start production by the end of the year.
About SolarWorld AG:
The SolarWorld AG group of companies (ISIN: DE0005108401) is a world leader in high quality solar power technology. The company is involved at all levels of the solar value chain and combines all activities of the industry from silicon as the raw material to turn-key solar power system. SolarWorld AG is represented in all international solar growth markets. The group is exclusively dedicated to its core business of photovoltaic power generation, operating production facilities in Germany and the USA. They in turn supply the SolarWorld AG sales offices in Germany, Spain, USA, South Africa and Singapore. In South Korea SolarWorld AG is currently building up a solar module production facility in order to be able to serve the growing demand in Asia on the spot in the future. A central element of the business in addition to the sale of turn-key solar systems and solar modules to retailers is the distribution of solar silicon wafers to the international solar cell industry. Apart from grid-coupled (on-grid) products the SolarWorld Group also sells off-grid solar power solutions that make an important contribution to the sustainable economic development of threshold and developing countries. Under the roof Solar2World the group has pooled its ethical commitment to solar power especially in developing countries.