China-based monocrystalline wafer producer, Comtec Solar is constructing a new wafer plant at the Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone in Malaysia.
The company said that construction of the new facility would start in June 2013 and be completed around the end of November 2013. Construction costs were said to be RM46 million (US$14.5 million), while company executives reportedly said the total investment would be around RM1.2 billion (US$378 million).
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Comtec Solar Group chairman John Zhang was quoted as saying the facility would have an annual production capacity of 1GW of N-type monocyrstalline solar wafers.
N-type monocyrstalline wafers are used specifically for very-high cell efficiencies, used by the likes of SunPower, which has a manufacturing plant in Malaysia.
According to the ITRPV, monocrystalline wafer production is expected to grow rapidly, taking 50% of the market by 2023, while N-type monocyrstalline wafers being seen as key part of the driving force for monocrystalline wafers due to advanced cell designs and higher efficiency gains The ITRPV expects this wafer material to account for over 30% of the market by 2023.