BP Solar starts construction of 300MW solar cell plant in Spain

BP Solar has started construction of a 300MW solar cell plant in Tres Cantos, Madrid, Spain. Phase 1 of the new plant will have an annual cell capacity of 55MW with a total planned capacity of 300MW. The first line expected to be fully operational in 3Q07.  Construction has also begun on lines two and three. In addition to the new manufacturing lines, the Tres Cantos site will be remodeled to include a new PV systems prototype area, a visitor training centre and product testing and development facilities.

“The new cell technologies we are using, our intellectual property in casting with Mono2 and the contracts we have signed to secure preferential access to metallurgical grade silicon are all important steps towards our goal of offering customers PV-generated electricity on a par with the cost of conventional grid-supplied electricity,” said Lee Edwards, BP Solar’s CEO.

The fully automated facility will use screen printing technology, much of it proprietary to BP Solar. Since the site was acquired by BP Solar in 2002, a tri-generation power plant has been built providing heat and power to the site.

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