Showing posts with label China Solar Power. Show all posts
Showing posts with label China Solar Power. Show all posts

Friday, January 11, 2008

ULVAC Provides Thin-Film Equipment To China's Startup PV Firm

Thursday 10 January 2008

China Solar Power Holdings Ltd. (CSP), a subsidiary of Tano China Capital Management Inc., has entered the thin-film solar cell market in China by partnering with ULVAC Inc., a solar cell production equipment manufacturer headquartered in Chigasaki, Japan.

CSP has selected Yantai, in Shandong Province in northwest China, as the site of its first manufacturing facilities. The PV production lines supplied by ULVAC utilize G5-sized glass substrates designed for full-scale solar power generation plants. The plant will initially produce modules based on single-junction amorphous silicon technology, with an annual capacity of about 50 MW.

CSP says it will quickly transition the production lines to produce tandem-junction modules with a higher efficiency rating. The annual capacity for the line with the higher-efficiency modules is expected to increase from 50 MW to approximately 64 MW in 2010.

The lines will incorporate plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition equipment, laser scribers, sputtering equipment and encapsulation equipment. ULVAC will install and commission the production lines at CSP's Yantai plant and train CSP's operations

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Solar Power and Motech Solar to Arrange for 11 Megawatts of Cells in 2008

From http://www.tradingmarkets.com

Nov 26, 2007 (NORDIC BUSINESS REPORT via COMTEX) -- Solar Power, Inc. (SPI) has made arrangements with Motech, one of the world's top 10 producers of solar cells, for Motech to reserve 11 megawatts of 6" multi-crystalline photovoltaic (PV) cells.

The cells will be used for the production of SPI's solar modules at the company's factory in Shenzhen, China. In addition to the 11 megawatts for 2008, SPI and Motech are in discussions to develop a long-term cell supply agreement to meet the growing demand for SPI's PV modules.

"Our arrangement with Motech is significant, as they are the recognized world leader in the production of the highest quality mono and multi-crystalline PV cells," said Steve Kircher, CEO Solar Power, Inc. "Our companies share a common philosophy with respect to our mutual commitment to high-quality and product innovation. For these reasons we are also pursuing a long-term supply agreement."

To date, Motech has been a primary supplier of cells for SPI. The new arrangement provides SPI with an additional supply of high-quality cells to meet anticipated production requirements of the company's 200 watt panels during 2008. "We are happy to be providing Solar Power, Inc. with cells for their high-quality PV modules," said Dr. Simon Tsuo, CEO of Motech Solar. "For us this is further indication of the growing US market and demand for photovoltaic products as the adoption of solar energy in all market segments gains momentum across the United States."

Saturday, October 27, 2007

China Solar Power Enters Thin Film Solar Module Market in China by Forging Strategic Alliance with ULVAC Inc. of Japan

October 25, 2007 07:00 PM Eastern Daylight Time

SAN MATEO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Charles E. Johnson, Managing Director of Tano China Capital Management, Inc. (TCCMI), announced today the signing of a three-way strategic alliance between its affiliates China Solar Power (Holdings) Ltd. (CSP), Tano China Private Equity Fund II (TCPEF II) and ULVAC Inc. of Japan. The parties signed a Strategic Alliance Agreement in Chigasaki, Japan on October 17, 2007. With the establishment of this strategic alliance, CSP enters the thin film solar module market in China by partnering with ULVAC, a leading manufacturer of thin film solar cell production lines (2.2 billion Yen annual revenue).
Messrs. Charles E. Johnson and Frank Liu, co-founders and Managing Directors of CSP, and their delegation were hosted by Chairman Dr. Kyozu Nakamura, President and CEO Mr. Hidenori Suwa and senior executives of ULVAC.

Mr. Johnson stated at the signing ceremony:
“We are all very excited to have formed this strategic alliance. We have spent the last twelve months evaluating emerging thin film solar technologies, and believe that by partnering with ULVAC, a research and development oriented design and turnkey manufacturer with impeccable credentials, we will quickly be in position to realize our goal of becoming the leading manufacturer of thin film solar modules in China.”
Manny Krakaris, the co-founder of the project, added:
“After an exhaustive review of the PV market and various technologies for manufacturing solar panels, we are convinced that thin film technology will lead the industry’s push to make the cost of solar energy competitive with electricity rates generated from conventional sources. We are very impressed with ULVAC’s amorphous silicon manufacturing technology and are excited to be partnering with ULVAC to help make solar a significant component of the world’s energy mix.”
The goals of the strategic alliance are to both develop CSP into the leading manufacturer of thin film solar modules in China and to enhance ULVAC’s position as a leading provider of thin film photovoltaic (PV) production lines worldwide.
In the second phase of the collaboration, CSP intends to purchase a complete turnkey thin film PV fabrication plant from ULVAC. An extensive search of thin film technologies led CSP to conclude that the world is on the cusp of seeing large-scale, low cost thin film PV manufacturing becoming a profitable growth business. CSP chose this technology and equipment supplier due to ULVAC’s successful track record in the technologically-similar LCD manufacturing industry, and in the PV industry in Japan, where they are the dominant supplier of manufacturing equipment to the world’s largest PV module manufacturers.
CSP plans to build its first plant in Yantai, China to capitalize upon low manufacturing costs, among other benefits, and to establish a presence in what most industry observers expect will become the largest PV market in the world. CSP’s plant, relying upon tandem junction technology, will be among the first and largest of its kind in Asia. The project’s initial two manufacturing lines will initially have a rated annual capacity of 50 MW which is expected to be upgraded to 64 MW within a short time.
This technology’s reliance on abundant, low-cost raw materials, the equipment’s scalability and the manufacturing process’s high yield and reliability will enable CSP to quickly establish a strong position in the worldwide PV module market.
CSP was founded in 2007 as a subsidiary of Tano China Capital Management, Inc. TCCMI is a private equity investment management company focusing on Chinese companies and industries. It is jointly owned by Tano Capital, LLC (Mr. Charles E. Johnson of the U.S.) and an investment group headed by Mr. Chi-Jen Frank Liu of Taiwan.