SolarWorld AG expands production in Germany by manufacturing solar mono-crystals.
SolarWorld took over the German cell and module production from Bosch Solar Energy AG in March 2014. Now, production of solar cells and modules in Arnstadt is running at full capacity, and 830 jobs have been preserved in solar manufacturing. The addition of crystal production will create about 60 jobs.
Silicon mono-crystals are drawn from the liquid silicon melt, then cut into lengths, or ingots, for further processing into solar wafers and then cells and final assembly into modules. The annual production capacity of mono-crystals in Arnstadt is expected gradually to grow to about 500 megawatts, beginning in the second quarter of 2015. SolarWorld's production site in Freiberg, Germany, will cut the silicon ingots into wafers.
In parallel, SolarWorld will expand the PERC technology (passivated emitter rear contact) of a pilot line in Arnstadt to the site's entire cell production of 700 megawatts. As a result of new coating processes on cells' fronts and backs, the PERC technology achieves much higher efficiencies.
In Hillsboro, Oregon, in the United States, SolarWorld already produces exclusively PERC cells. In Freiberg, cell production will be upgraded to PERC technology this year, too. In early 2015, SolarWorld achieved efficiency of 21.42 percent, setting a new world record for industrially manufactured monocrystalline PERC solar cells. Asbeck: 'Solar technology is about quality and maximum power efficiency.
In both areas, we will further expand our leadership position. We thus consistently focus on our production in Germany and the United States. With new crystal production in Arnstadt, we will extend the vertical range of our value chain. Only sites operating under maximum quality, environmental and social standards, with qualified personnel and at advanced levels of automation can achieve top quality. That's what our customers expect from us.'
In Germany and the United States, SolarWorld has annual production capacity of well over one gigawatt, covering all major steps of the value chain. Accounting for higher, PERC efficiency, SolarWorld's groupwide module capacity rises to 1.6 gigawatts groupwide.
SolarWorld REAL VALUE: SolarWorld manufactures and sells high-tech solar power solutions and in doing so contributes to a cleaner energy supply worldwide. The group, headquartered in Bonn, Germany, employs approximately 3,400 people and carries out production in Freiberg, Germany; Arnstadt, Germany and Hillsboro, USA. From raw material silicon to solar wafers, cells and modules, SolarWorld manages all stages of production including its own research and development.
Through an international distribution network with locations in Europe, USA, Singapore and South Africa, SolarWorld supplies customers all over the world. The company maintains high social standards at all locations across the globe, and has committed itself to resource- and energy-efficient production. SolarWorld was founded in 1998 and has been publically traded on the stock market since 1999.
