SolarWorld announces that Freiburg operations will merge to one venture
SolarWorld has announced that its three manufacturing subsidiaries in Freiberg will perform as one. Deutsche Solar GmbH (wafer manufacturing), Deutsche Cell GmbH (solar cell manufacturing) and Solar Factory GmbH (solar module manufacturing) will merge to become SolarWorld Industries Sachsen GmbH.
"This merger represents the first time in the 20 year history of the SolarWorld location in Freiberg that there has been one single production body that carries out the entire production process from raw silicon to the completed solar modules. We will have fewer internal settlements, are streamlining our processes and can dedicate more time and energy as a team to our product and its ongoing development," explains division head Mario Behrendt. This merger also means simplified work processes for employees.
"Now, after a difficult 2013 and successful financial restructuring, is the ideal moment for this merger. This is an opportune time to begin a fresh in Freiberg as well with one single company," explains SolarWorld Chief Executive Officer Dr.-Ing. E.h. Frank Asbeck.
Structures have been harmonized company-wide as a result: Both other SolarWorld production locations, Arnstadt in Thueringen and Hillsboro in the USA, also function as unified bodies. The research subsidiary SolarWorld Innovations GmbH, located in Freiberg, and SolarWorld Solicium GmbH, which carries out lithium research in the eastern range of the Erzgebirge, will remain independent companies.
The solar production site in Freiberg will celebrate its 20 year anniversary on August 1. "This is a very rare occurrence in the photovoltaics industry. We chose Freiberg because motivated and well-qualified employees and an ideal setting offered the best prerequisites for the establishment of photovoltaics manufacturing," says Dr.-Ing. E.h. Frank Asbeck. The cornerstone of today's Freiberg solar production site was laid by Bayer Solar GmbH on August 1, 1994 with only 19 employees and three systems in the basement of what was at that time Wacker Chemitronic (now Siltronic AG). SolarWorld took over the location in 2000 and was at that time already the largest producer of solar wafers in Europe with 120 employees.
Over the course of the following years, the solar technology manufacturer developed the entire production chain from solar cell to solar module in Freiberg and continued to expand capacities. Research and development activities have also been situated in Freiberg, Saxony since 2007.
Today, around 1,500 people are employed by SolarWorld AG at three industrial sites in and around Freiberg.
