Overcapacity, weak demand and uncompetitive production have forced around 90% of polysilicon producers in China to suspend production, according to news reports in China.
UK-based solar wafer producer, PV Crystalox Solar will implement a significant reduction in its workforce, while discontinuing its polysilicon operations in Germany and heavily cut ingot production in the UK and wafer production in Germany.
Thin film manufacturer First Solar has established an operating subsidiary in Cape Town, South Africa. The move follows a recent swathe of large utility-scale PV announcements in South Africa, as part of the country’s first round of renewable energy project bidding.
Having recently introduced its latest ENLIGHT polyolefin PV module encapsulant films, Dow Chemical has said it will be further developing the films and adding manufacturing capacity at its integrated site in Schkopau, Germany, in 2013.
CIS thin-film manufacturer Solar Frontier has won a contract to supply 92,000 modules to Mitsui & Co, continuing its success in securing supply deals for utility-scale PV projects in Japan.
A small JV company, established between Tokyo Electron (TEL) and Sharp Corporation in 2008 to develop plasma CVD systems for use in thin-film silicon solar photovoltaic cells has been dissolved by TEL.
Thermal processing equipment specialist BTU International has selected Peter Tallian to serve in its newly minted chief operating officer position, effective immediately.
ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe has joined the Solliance (ECN, imec, TNO, Holst Centre, TU/e, Forschungszentrum Jülich) R&D alliance that is focused on organic photovoltaics (OPV) thin film technologies.
Continued restructuring at Applied Materials as it struggles to resize its solar business has led to senior executives Mark Pinto and Tom Edman leaving the company as its EES and Display divisions are merged.
