Kyocera ramps annual solar cell production target to 1GW

Kyocera has announced that it will significantly increase its annual solar cell production targets to meet the growing demand for solar energy products in the global market. New targets aim for an increase to 1GW annually by March 2013, which is more than 2.5 times the current fiscal year 2010 production volume of 400MW.

As part of the new plan to increase yearly cell production, Kyocera has also now completed the construction of a new cell manufacturing plant in Yasu City, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. This facility will operate in addition to the company's existing Shiga Yohkaichi plant.

*Fiscal years run from the preceding April 1 to March 31 of the indicated year.

Kyocera has made these changes to meet the growing demand it has established by local production and supply networks for solar modules in North America, Europe, Japan and China. In addition to the solar cell production increase, the company will continue to enhance its module assembly capability.

"Kyocera will continue to contribute to solving increasing environmental issues by providing solar panels with high quality and high reliability for the creation of clean energy," stated Tetsuo Kuba, president of Kyocera.

The new Yasu Plant employs an enhanced manufacturing line, which increases productivity by 20% compared with the company's existing Yohkaichi plant. The main product to be manufactured at the Yasu Plant is the company's newly enhanced cell with an average energy conversion efficiency of 16.9%.

"Together with the existing plant at Yohkaichi, the new Yasu Plant will be Kyocera's core production site for solar cells," said Kuba. "In addition to mass-producing cells with Kyocera's highest conversion efficiency, the new plant will also undertake R&D activities for next-generation cell technology."