LDK Solar, manufacturer of multicrystalline solar wafers, has provided an updated outlook for its second-quarter 2009 financial results. LDK expects to report between $225 million and $235 million in revenue, slightly above the recently announced estimated range, and wafer shipments between 230 and 240MW.
Q-Cells and MEMC Electronic Materials have revealed the formation of a joint venture to construct extremely large solar parks, in which each partner will have a 50% share. The first shared project will be a facility in Strasskirchen, Bavaria.
GreenWing Energy Managementand SolFocus have announced an agreement for SolFocus to supply high concentration photovoltaic (CPV) systems for GreenWing's large-scale solar power projects in the western United States.
Trina Solar Ltd., integrated manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products from the production of ingots, wafers and cells to the assembly of PV modules, has announced that it has began shipment under a long-term supplier agreement with PROINSO, distributor for solar photovoltaic equipments and a specialist in engineering services in Spain.
First Solar will build and operate a 100MW plus capacity CdTe thin-film plant in France for EDF Energies Nouvelles, equally sharing the capital and start-up costs, with EDF taking all production volumes for a 10-year period. In essence, First Solar has added ‘contract manufacturing’ or ‘foundry’ operations to its evolving business model. According to the new partners, the new 100MW plus plant will require an initial capital investment of more than €90 million. Full production is planned for the second half of 2011. The location of the site is expected to be announced in the next few months and will also include a facility for recycling solar panels, France’s first such facility and Europe’s only solar panel recycling plant outside of Germany.
Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd., has announced that it has entered into a strategic agreement with China Huadian New Energy Development Co., Ltd. (HNE) to develop a total of 500MW of utility-scale and commercial roof top solar projects in China's western provinces, Jiangsu and Shanghai; the project will take place over the next three years.
In an operational update, Timminco said it produced 243 metric tons of solar-grade or upgraded metallurgical silicon (UMSi) from three purification lines out of an available seven lines. The company shipped 34 metric tons in the quarter, at an average selling price of $39 per kg. As a result of continuing economic challenges, the AMG subsidary will reduce production to one line and temporarily lay off up to 60 workers.
Yingli Green Energy Holding's fledgling U.S. business has announced that the U.S. market for solar power has improved dramatically in the last six weeks, according to Reuters.
Canadian Solar has announced that it has become a member of Brussels-based PV Cycle, an organisation that promotes voluntary take-back and recycling of end-of-life PV modules, including seeking to define collection and recycling targets for the PV industry.
In a new report from IC Insights, major solar cell manufacturers from Japan are finding the competition tough from relatively new players from the U.S. (First Solar), Germany (Q-Cells), China (Suntech), and the likes of Taiwan-based Motech. The 2006 number-one supplier, Sharp, was said to have suffered the most, falling to fourth-ranked supplier by revenue in 2008, according to the market research firm.
