SolarWorld to double production capacity

MUNICH; Germany — Solar energy systems manufacturer SolarWorld has plans to double its wafer production capacity. The company will invest € 600 million (about $ 805 million) to build a new wafer production line in Freiberg (Germany).

The construction works for the new plant are scheduled to start in 2008. With the move, the company said it will create 1.000 jobs and double its production capacity to 1 GW, compared to its hitherto capacity planning.

The company said it has received additional orders at a volume of €500 million. Including these new orders, the order backlog now adds up to €5 billion through the year 2020.

90 percent of the orders come from abroad, the company said, with the Asia/Pacific region accounting for 43 percent of the total demand. Europe (excluding Germany) accounts for 40 percent, Germany for another 10 percent. 7 percent of the demand goes to the Americas. In the USA, SolarWorld presently is ramping up an additional solar cell factory.