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| NEWS HIGHLIGHTS |
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First Solar sees RM684m revenue in first year |
Saturday, April 21, 2007 |
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First Solar Sdn Bhd, a thin film solar module producer, is expecting to achieve about US$200 million (RM684.22 million) revenue within the first year of its operations, scheduled to start by 2008.
Its chairman Heiner Eichermueller said its US-based parent company First Solar Inc had secured long-term contracts with six European companies to manufacture and sell a total of 1.5GW of solar modules until 2012.
He said First Solar’s Malaysia operations, based in Kulim, Kedah, would be capable of producing solar modules with a nameplate rating of 100MW per year by the end of 2008.
The term “nameplate rating” is used to measure production capacity.
The 41,500 sq ft plant, being developed on a 34ha site at the cost of US$150 million, is slated for completion by the end of the year.
It will be equipped with four production lines with an annual capacity to manufacture 1.6 million 60cm by 120cm solar panels, which would be destined for the Europe market.
“Our current land size is sufficient for the construction of three additional plants, but we are focusing to get the first one up and running,” he told reporters at First Solar‘s ground breaking ceremony at the Kulim Hi-Tech Park on April 20.
Eichermueller also said the company would be hiring up to 500 Malaysian personnel to run the plant with 37% professional and the remainder manufacturing employees.
“However, in the first six months of our operations the local workforce will be assisted by a team from the US and Germany,” he said.
“Our operations in Malaysia represent an important step in our journey towards the commercial adoption of solar energy and our long-term vision to make solar a sustainable mainstream source of energy.
“This will help reduce global dependence on scarce natural resources and curtails greenhouse gas emissions to improve the environment,” he said.
Eichermueller said the demand for such products was on the rise in Europe, particularly in countries like Spain and Italy as well as other Asian countries such as Japan and Korea.
“Within the next four to five years, we hope to provide electricity solutions that can compete with the prices of retail electricity in key markets in the US, Europe and Asia,” he said.
Kulim Technology Park Corporation Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Shukri Tajuddin, who was also present said there was also a ready market in Malaysia for such products.
Source: theedgedaily.com |
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