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ersol Solar Energy AG has opened its second 100MWp cell production
plant with an initial investment of €46 million. The first multi- and
monocrystalline silicon solar cells will leave the plant in Arnstadt,
Germany in early 2008, the company said.
"It’s fantastic to celebrate the inauguration of our second plant for
crystalline solar cells today. This is a major milestone in ersol’s
efforts to expand its capacity,” said Dr. Claus Beneking, CEO of ersol
Solar Energy AG. “Crystalline cell production is a key component of our
product portfolio. Now we can produce everything from wafers to solar
cells in Arnstadt without too much logistics effort. This enables us to
meet the strong market demand for our products. One annual production
of the new solar cell factory is capable to supply 30,000 households
with solar electricity and relieves the environment of about 1 million
tons of carbon dioxide emission."
It took just under a year to
build the c. 10,100-square-meter facility on a 41,000-square-meter plot
of land. Construction of the new facility began in December 2006, and
the topping-out ceremony took place in April 2007.
M+W Zander
FE GmbH erected a turnkey production building that was then equipped
with the necessary production systems. Züblin Ost, a subcontractor from
Jena in Thuringia, was responsible for the building shell. A total of
80 percent of the subcontractors hired by M+W Zander were from
companies from Thuringia.
ersol will now have a nominal capacity
of 220MWp by the end of 2008. The company plans to achieve a nominal
capacity of 400MWp by the end of 2010 and 500MWp by the end of 2012,
and has secured the silicon needed for this through various long-term
supply contracts.
