Solargiga extends solar cell production to polycrystalline segment
Commercial Times, September 18, 2008/ Adam Hwang
Source: DIGITIMES, 18 September 2008
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20080918PB201.html
Solargiga Energy, a China subsidiary of Taiwan-based silicon wafer maker Wafer Works, has signed with Hoku Materials, a Hawaii-based supplier of polycrystalline silicon material, to extend its production of solar cells from monocrystalline models to polycrystalline ones, according to the Chinese-language newspaper Commercial Times (CT).
Solargiga will begin establishment of its polycrystalline silicon solar cell production lines with a total capacity of 150MWp (megawatts-peak) around the end of 2008 and kick off production in 2009, CT pointed out. In the meantime, Solargiga has been expanding its capacity of growing monocrystalline silicon to have 200 growing furnaces by the end of 2008 and add 200 ones in 2009 to a total of 400, the paper indicated.
Earlier this month, Hoku also announced the signing of a definitive contract for Hoku’s sale and delivery of polysilicon to Solargiga – through its wholly owned subsidiary Wealthy Rise International – over a ten-year period beginning in early 2010. According to the contract, up to approximately US$455 million may be payable to Hoku during the ten-year period, subject to product deliveries and other conditions.
The contract provides for the delivery of predetermined volumes of polysilicon each year, with the first shipment in the first quarter of 2010 and the remainder over a ten-year period at set prices that will decline throughout the term of the agreement.