Less than one week after announcing its ramp up of Tedlar production in North Carolina, DuPont has unveiled plans to double the production capacity for its Solamet photovoltaic metallization pastes. DuPont asserts that it is trying to stay ahead of the growing solar demand and acknowledges that the increase is in-line with its expectation for its sales to reach US$1 billion in 2011 and US$2 billion by 2014.
Mecasolar is on target to reach a total of 4,200 solar trackers installed in Italy by the end of 2010. These projects combine to reach an output of approximately 42MW, placing the Spanish company in a leading position in its sector in the Italian market.
India's new and renewable energy minister, Farooq Abdullah, has revealed that the government is targeting 1,000MW of solar power by 2013, 500MW of which will be solar photovoltaic and 500MW solar thermal. The first installation will begin in West Bengal, where a demo tidal wave power project of 100MW will be executed, shortly followed by switching 100 telecom towers from diesel to solar power for cooling, Abdullah said.
New York-based private equity firm New Mountain, a subsidiary of New Mountain Capital, has paid US$280 million for the acquisition of Mallinckrodt Baker (MBI) from Covidien. MBI’s operations and scope are expected to continue as normal, with Raj Gupta, former CEO of Rohm and Haas and senior advisor to New Mountain, taking the helm as chairman of the board.
Intevac revealed that Christopher Smith will be taking over the executive vice president of emerging markets position to manage and develop the company’s capital equipment business. Luke Marusiak, who previously served in the position, will be revisiting his chief operating officer role, which sees him overlooking manufacturing, materials, customer service and corporate services.
In a reorganizational move the company says will leverage the advantages of vertical integration, REC will consolidate its REC Wafer and REC Solar units--including all of the company's activities in Singapore--under one management team. The newly restructured group will be headed by John Andersen Jr., current EVP of REC Solar and group COO.
SunSi Energies has signed a letter of intent to buy 60% equity interest in Wendeng He Xie Silicon, a trichlorosilane (TCS) facility with an annual production capacity of 20,000MT located in Weihai City, China. Under the terms of the deal, SunSi will also increase the plant's capacity to 60,000MT.
San Diego Gas & Electric has signed and submitted for approval a second 20-year power purchase agreement with an LS Power subsidiary to buy up to an additional 45MW of solar photovoltaic-based energy from the proposed Centinela Solar Energy facility, which will be located on a 1350-acre site near Calexico in California’s Imperial Valley. The contract is subject to California Public Utilities Commission approval.
Calisolar is the recipient of the first loan approved by the California Energy Commission as part of the Clean Energy Business Financing Program. The Sunnyvale, CA-based UMG solar-cell manufacturer, one of seven companies announced as proposed awardees in July, will receive a $5 million loan to buy equipment to expand production. The CEBFP uses American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds to provide up to $30.6 million in 2.75% low-interest loans to private businesses that improve or expand their energy efficiency or renewable energy manufacturing facilities in the state.
UK energy company Ecotricity has submitted a planning application for a 1MW power plant near Louth, UK. If the plans are accepted, this project, which will be located next to a 20-tubine wind farm, will be the largest of its kind in the country.
