BP Solar, Jabil expand contract manufacturing agreement; 45MW module line to start in Mexico

In an expansion of its outsourcing strategy, BP Solar has signed a new deal with Jabil Circuit. The contract manufacturer will assemble BP’s photovoltaic modules for the North American market in Jabil’s plant in Chihuahua, Mexico. Production will begin on the manufacturing line in the second quarter of this year; initial capacity will be 45MW, with the possibility for expansion as demand increases, the companies said.

The latest agreement builds on a relationship that began with the October 2009 announcement of a 45MW deal for Jabil to manufacture BP’s PV panels in Poland for the European market. Since that time, the solar-cell company has ordered a second 45MW module assembly line at the Poland facility to feed continued strong market growth.

“We are very pleased to add cost competitive module assembly manufacturing with Jabil in North America,” said Reyad Fezzani, CEO of BP Solar.  “We expect the North American and European solar markets to grow significantly over the next several years, and this contract will help ensure that we can meet demand for our highest lifetime value products and services.”

He stressed that Jabil will assemble various BP Solar-designed and branded modules for the residential, commercial, and utility markets at its Mexico plant from solar cells manufactured around the globe by BP and third-party manufacturers, all to BP’s specifications and quality assurance standards.

Saying that his company is “pleased to grow its relationship with BP Solar through these manufacturing agreements,” Jabil’s president/CEO Timothy L. Main noted that “global solar demand is rebounding, and we are uniquely able to help BP Solar build its business with cost-competitive, high-quality services.”

Jabil also has PV module contract manufacturing deals with SunPower, Day4 Energy, and other solar companies.