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LDK Solar would seem to be pushing on from its initial deal with Q-Cells to facilitate solar energy projects, with a separate deal signed with Italian systems integrator SAEM Srl. The new agreement is for five 1MW PV energy plants to be built in the Apulia region of Italy by November 2009. LDK Solar will supply the required number of wafers for the projects, while SAEM handles the engineering, procurement, and system integration services. Financial details were not disclosed.

"The Italian PV market continues to be one of the most interesting in Europe and is forecasted to grow significantly over the next three years,” commented Xiaofeng Peng, Chairman and CEO of LDK Solar. “Our agreement with SAEM is another noteworthy achievement for us as we work to strengthen our position in the PV power plants market in Europe and continue to build our foundation to capture future opportunities."

As with the Q-Cells agreement, no details were provided regarding the module manufacturer(s) that would be required for the projects. In this new deal, LDK Solar would also require a cell producer as well as a module manufacturer to partner with, as LDK only makes bare wafers.

Small-scale 1MW type PV plants are a feature of the rapidly growing Italian market due to the structure of the feed in tariffs, which discourage larger plants.