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Japanese thin-film module supplier Solar Frontier is planning to close the doors of its 60MW Miyazaki-Daini PV module manufacturing facility in south-west Japan for an indefinite period of time in order to focus on increasing output at its larger Kunitomi plant, Reuters has revealed.
Citing a company spokesman, Reuters reported that Solar Frontier will be able to boost production of PV modules by 50% in 2013, from 600MW to 900MW, if more efforts were placed on production at the Kunitomo plant in southern Japan. This move will help to meet the growing demand in Japan.
Solar Frontier had a total of three manufacturing plants in Japan but closed one of them in 2010. By closing the Miyazaki-Daini plant, the company will be able to place its entire efforts on the Kunitomo plant which began operating in February 2011. The Miyazaki-Daini plant is due to shut-down in December.
Bloomberg also reported that the workers at the Miyazaki-Daini plant, currently around 200, will be transferred to the Kunitomo plant or domestic sales.
According to Reuters, Solar Frontier is planning to sell about 60% of its modules to Japan this year, up from 30% in 2011.
PV demand in Japan is growing rapidly and with the new feed-in tariff in place, many more companies are expected to jump on the bandwagon and place greater efforts on the Japanese solar market.
