Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Wafer Works signs 8-year supply deal for silicon

Nuying Huang, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES [Tuesday 28 October 2008]

Wafer Works, a Taiwan-based producer of semiconductor-grade and solar-grade silicon wafers, on October 27 announced it has signed an 8-year contract with an international silicon material supplier for the period from January 2010 to December 2017.

The supply contract is primarily to meet demand for silicon material by Solargiga Energy, Wafer Works' subsidiary and a maker of solar-grade mono- and poly-crystalline silicon ingots/wafers in China, according to industry sources in Taiwan.

Solargiga is expanding its factory on a 4-hectare site located in Liaoning Province, northeastern China, with annual production capacity of monocrystalline silicon ingots/wafers to increase from an equivalent of 200MWp (megawatt-peak) currently to that of 400MWp in 2009, the sources pointed out. In addition, Solargiga will expand its annual production capacity of polycrystalline silicon ingots/wafers from an equivalent of less than 20MWp presently to that of 200MWp in 2009, the sources indicated.

Solargiga's total annual production capacity of crystalline silicon ingots/wafers in 2009 will reach an equivalent of 600MWp, with supply contracts and the spot market to each account for 50% of the needed silicon material, the sources noted.

Intel Capital to invest 20 mln usd in Trony Solar Holdings - UPDATE

BEIJING (XFN-ASIA) - Intel Capital, the global investment arm of US chip maker Intel Corp, said it will invest 20 mln usd in Trony Solar Holdings, a leading Chinese thin-film solar cell company.

Intel Capital said it will also invest in two other Chinese firms - NP Holdings Ltd, which is involved in massive electricity storage systems, and View High, a software provider for the healthcare industry.

It revealed no financial details about these two investments.

Stephen Eichenlaub, an Intel Capital managing director for emerging platform technologies and the clean technology sector said Trony Solar Holdings and NP Holdings are Intel's first Chinese cleantech investments.

Eichenlaub said that China's cleantech industry is experiencing rapid development and Intel Capital expects to focus more on the sector in future.

Cadol Cheung, Intel Capital managing director for the Asia and Pacific Region, said despite the global financial turmoil, Intel Capital remains committed to the China market and has no plans to slow down investment in the mainland.

Cheung said the 500 mln usd Intel Technology Fund II, which was launched in April, has invested in six projects so far, mostly as a strategic investor. The companies it invests in are seen as potential acquisition targets or listing candidates.

susan.wang@xfn.com - xfnzw/xfjamesa/xfaws/xfntm

28 October 2008

Solar EnerTech Completes Second Solar Cell Production Line

Posted on: Monday, 27 October 2008

MENLO PARK, Calif., Oct. 27 /Xinhua-PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Solar EnerTech Corp. (BULLETIN BOARD: SOEN) (the "Company") today announced that the Company recently completed the build out of its second solar cell production line. The new 25 MW solar cell production line is located at the Company's solar cell manufacturing facility in Shanghai and the addition of this new line doubles the company's solar cell production capacity from 25MW to 50MW.

"The completion of this second line is a great accomplishment for our company and we are pleased to have finished production two months ahead of schedule," commented Leo Young, Chief Executive Officer of Solar EnerTech. "Our business development team is working diligently to secure new orders so that we can utilize our second line to the fullest extent possible. We now have the ability to support dual-line production which provides us with the potential to increase our product orders and broaden our base of customers from Europe, North America and Asia. We are moving forward with our strategic plan and believe we are well positioned for continued growth ahead."

About Solar EnerTech Corp.

Solar EnerTech is a photovoltaic ("PV") solar energy cell manufacturing enterprise based in Shanghai, China, where the Company has established a sophisticated 63,000 square foot manufacturing plant in Shanghai's Jinqiao Modern Technology Park. The Company has two 25MW solar cell production lines as well as a 50MW solar module production facility.

Solar EnerTech has also established a Joint R&D Lab at Shanghai University to develop higher efficiency cells and to put the results of that research to use in its manufacturing processes. Led by one of the industry's top scientists, the Company expects its R&D program to help bring Solar EnerTech to the forefront of advanced solar technology research and production. The Company has also established a marketing, purchasing and distribution arm in Northern California's Silicon Valley.

Solar wafer project breaks earth in Weifang, China

WEIFANG, Oct 27, 2008 (SinoCast via COMTEX) -- A solar wafer project built by a Hong Kong subsidiary wholly owned by Taiwan Tatung Company laid the foundation stone in the Weifang, Shandong Province on October 23, 2008.

With a total investment amounting to USD 300 million, the project is designed to have a wafer cutting capacity of 60MW in the first operational year and to hit 1,000MW within five years, bringing back annual sales of CNY 19 billion.

For a long time, the productive technology of solar wafers has been monopolized by ten plants affiliated to seven companies of the US, Japan, and Germany.

The Weifang Project gets support from a Japanese leading polycrystalline silicon manufacturer, and uses wire cutting technology to process silicon ingots, largely improving silicon wafer precision, and saving materials.

Tatung Company is a worldwide leader in designing and manufacturing digital consumer products, with strengths including LCD TVs, network-connected devices and household appliances. It also provides system integration service, and is well engaged in diversified fields like wire and cable, optical fiber cables, gas insulated switchgears, motors, generators, and transformers.

Ontario And China Go Green Together

McGuinty Government Promotes Two-Way Investment And Trade In Shanghai

TORONTO, Oct. 27 /CNW/ - NEWS

A Chinese company will build a biomass power plant in Ontario as part of an announcement made today in Shanghai.

Canadian Windfields Solar and Renewable Energy Corporation announced thatit will build and operate a demonstration plant with Chinese company Wuhan Liren. Wuhan Liren will also invest in an Ontario manufacturing plant thatwill build and support its biomass power generation systems.

Instead of traditional renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, the power plant will use agricultural and forestry waste that producevirtually no emissions. The new biomass power generation plant will be thefirst of its kind in North America.

Premier Dalton McGuinty took part in the signing ceremony during theShanghai leg of his mission to China. The goal of the mission is to sellOntario environmental technologies and exchange ideas.

The director of Shanghai's Environmental Protection Bureau, Sun Jian,also took part in the signing ceremony. The Premier then spoke at a dinner toshowcase Ontario's environmental technology companies in front of over 200people at the Shanghai Museum.

QUOTES

"The agreements signed today are significant. It's just the start of whatOntario and China can do together," said Premier Dalton McGuinty. "We'llcontinue to strengthen our social and economic ties, to generate investmentand create jobs for Ontario families."

"Ontario is a world class producer of environmental products and servicesfor which a tremendous demand exists in China," said Michael Chan, Minister ofCitizenship and Immigration. "We are sending a clear message to China thatwhen looking for the technologies necessary to achieve their environmentalgoals, they need not look further than Ontario."

<< QUICK FACTS

- Two-way trade between Ontario and China more than doubled between 2003 and 2007, reaching more than $21 billion last year.
- China is investing $175 billion in environmental protection between 2006 and 2010.
- Ontario currently has 2,600 environmental technology companies.