July 19, 2007: 07:46 AM EST
JIANGSU, China, July 19 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- Canadian Solar Inc. (''the Company'', or ''CSI'') announced today that it has signed an aggregate US$50 million syndicated loan agreement with Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) and Communication Bank of China. The majority of this loan will be used for the expansion of CSI's solar cell manufacturing facilities in the Suzhou New District. This new loan agreement, together with other existing banking arrangements, provides CSI with approximately US$90 million in available credit lines. CSI also signed strategic partnership agreements with both banks, which pledged continuous support to CSI's five- year growth plan.
Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CSI, together with other representatives from CSI and the bank syndicate were present at the signing ceremony held in Jiangsu, China.
Dr. Shawn Qu, Chairman and CEO of CSI, said, ''We appreciate the support of our local banks as they continue to be supportive, long-term strategic partners. This credit agreement is very positive for CSI, as it enables us to execute our long-term growth plan without causing any dilution to shareholders. We have already completed our second 25MW cell line, currently in test run. We expect this second line to be at full production in August. We continue to expect lines three and four to be completed for full production in the fourth quarter. By then, CSI will have 100MW of annual cell manufacturing capacity. CSI remains well-positioned for continued fast growth given our global customer base, reputation for high quality modules, and the financial strength to support the increased customer demand levels.''
About Canadian Solar Inc.
Founded in 2001, Canadian Solar Inc. (CSI) is a vertically integrated manufacturer of solar cell, solar module and customer-designed solar application products serving worldwide customers. CSI is incorporated in Canada and conducts all of its manufacturing operations in China. Backed by years of experience and knowledge in the solar power market and the silicon industry, CSI has become a major global provider of solar power products for a wide range of applications. For more information, please visit http://www.csisolar.com .
Friday, July 20, 2007
Cleantech Investments in China Soar
New report said 2007 investment will rise 38 percent.July 19, 2007
By Marie Alpman
Chinese cleantech companies scored $154 million in venture funding in the first-quarter, a fourfold increase from the same period two years ago, a new report released Thursday said.
The report from the Cleantech Group, a research firm based in Brighton, Mitchigan, that tracks cleantech investments around the world, also noted that investments in China’s cleantech sector for all of 2007 likely will surpass investments in 2006. The report estimated that total investments in alternative energy and other clean technologies in China will reach $580 million this year, compared to $420 million in 2006.
The report said investment in cleantech is being driven by China's Renewable Energy Law, which went into effect last year and states that 10 percent of the nation's energy output should come from renewable sources by 2010.
China's solar sector is particularly hot. In 2006, about 70 percent of the venture capital was spent on solar companies, and the biggest first-quarter 2007 deal was an $82 million investment, led by Goldman Sachs, in Jiangsu Shunda, a photovoltaic solar company. To boot, five Chinese solar companies went public on U.S. exchanges and London's AIM in 2006; so far this year, three more Chinese firms have been listed in the U.S.
According to the report, the next booming segment will be water purification. Investments in water technologies are expected to reach $100 million in 2008, the report said.
By Marie Alpman
Chinese cleantech companies scored $154 million in venture funding in the first-quarter, a fourfold increase from the same period two years ago, a new report released Thursday said.
The report from the Cleantech Group, a research firm based in Brighton, Mitchigan, that tracks cleantech investments around the world, also noted that investments in China’s cleantech sector for all of 2007 likely will surpass investments in 2006. The report estimated that total investments in alternative energy and other clean technologies in China will reach $580 million this year, compared to $420 million in 2006.
The report said investment in cleantech is being driven by China's Renewable Energy Law, which went into effect last year and states that 10 percent of the nation's energy output should come from renewable sources by 2010.
China's solar sector is particularly hot. In 2006, about 70 percent of the venture capital was spent on solar companies, and the biggest first-quarter 2007 deal was an $82 million investment, led by Goldman Sachs, in Jiangsu Shunda, a photovoltaic solar company. To boot, five Chinese solar companies went public on U.S. exchanges and London's AIM in 2006; so far this year, three more Chinese firms have been listed in the U.S.
According to the report, the next booming segment will be water purification. Investments in water technologies are expected to reach $100 million in 2008, the report said.
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