Bosch to build €520 million integrated solar module manufacturing plant in Malaysia

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Cited as one of its largest single investments in manufacturing facilities in the long history of the company, Bosch is planning to invest over €520 million in a new fully-integrated solar module manufacturing plant in Batu Kawan, Penang, Malaysia. Construction is expected to start by the end of 2011 with production scheduled to have begun by the end of 2013. When fully ramped in 2014, capacity is expected to reach a combined 640MW. The company noted that it still expects sales to pass the €1 billion level this year.

“With this investment, Bosch is moving further along the path of internationalization it has already set for its photovoltaics business,” noted Franz Fehrenbach, chairman of the Bosch board of management at a press conference held in Stuttgart. “The new manufacturing site in Batu Kawan will mainly serve Asia’s solar energy market, which is growing strongly. In the coming years, the Asian market is set to see average annual growth of 30 percent. Components for manufacturing sites in other countries will also be produced at the new Malaysian site.”

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

The facility will include the fabrication of silicon crystals, wafers, solar cells and modules. The module production lines are planned reach an annual capacity of 150MWp in 2014.

Bosch noted that the annual cell production of the new manufacturing site in Malaysia would cover the energy needs of 165,000 households in central Europe; however, the number of households covered in Malaysia would be almost twice as high at up to 300,000.

The facility is expected to employ approximately 2,000 workers when fully ramped.

Bosch plans for the new facility in Malaysia to serve the south-east Asian market, where the company is expecting excellent growth opportunities for solar in the years to come. Bosch noted that it expected the ‘sunbelt’ region to have a total installed output in the region of approximately 130GW by 2020.

Read Next

November 14, 2024
China’s CHN Energy has grid connected the Mengxi Blue Ocean PV Power Plant Project, at 3GW the country’s largest single-site PV power plant.
November 14, 2024
The sixth PPE2 tender for ground-mounted solar ended up slightly oversubscribed as the French government tendered for 925MW of PV capacity.
November 14, 2024
In its Q1-3 2024 financial results, SMA Solar said it will cut up to 1,100 jobs and reduce costs by between €150 and €200 million by the end of 2025.
November 14, 2024
The Northern Territory government in Australia has proposed developing an AU$400 million (US$259 million) renewable energy hub featuring six solar PV power plants in the region.
November 14, 2024
Australia’s Pacific Blue, a renewable energy generator and retailer, has been granted council approval for a 300MW solar-plus-storage expansion in North Queensland.
November 14, 2024
State-owned China Energy Investment Corporation (CHN Energy) has completed a 1GW floating solar PV facility in the Shandong Province of China.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
November 19, 2024
Philadelphia, USA
Solar Media Events
November 20, 2024
Zhuhai, China
Solar Media Events
November 21, 2024
London, UK
Solar Media Events
November 26, 2024
Málaga, Spain
Solar Media Events
November 26, 2024
Warsaw, Poland