Meyer Burger cuts wire saw equipment production: reiterates 2011 revenue guidance

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email

Responding to capacity expansion push-outs and cancellations at solar wafer manufacturing customers, Meyer Burger Technology has set in motion temporary adjustments to equipment production at its subsidiary, MB Wafertec. However, Meyer Burger reiterated that its 2011 net sales and earnings remained on target.

Production of wire saw equipment is to be interrupted at MB Wafertec for a period of 3 weeks during November. The company said that it would reduce overtime hours and employees would take unused holiday time.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

However, Meyer Burger noted that there was the possibility of implementing a reduction of working hours in December, based on how the market situation develops.

Solar wafer producers have been aggressively expanding capacity over recent years to meet booming demand and had struggled to keep-up due to long-lead times for equipment in comparison to cell and module equipment.

Prices for wafers had remained firm in the first quarter of 2011, while modules and cell process began falling rapidly. However, the situation changed since then and prices have fallen well over 50%, already forcing wafer producers such as PV Crystalox to cut production and jobs.

Meyer Burger reiterated that 2011 net sales would be in the region of CHF 1.2 billion and an EBITDA margin of between 23-25%. The company noted that the figures are excluding pro-rata results of Roth & Rau, which it recently acquired.

 

According to an equity research note from financial analyst, Julien Desmaretz, Bryan Garnier & Co, Meyer Burger would only need to gain new orders of approximately CHF200 million on top of the current CHF1.1 billion order backlog to meet 2012 analyst expectations. 
 
“With current high PV project IRRs, PV demand could return very quickly; orders for new equipment would typically follow, by 3-6 months, with short lead times,” wrote Desmaretz. 
 

Read Next

July 14, 2025
ACWA Power has signed power purchase agreements (PPAs) with Saudi Power Procurement Company (SPPC) for five solar PV projects in the country.
July 14, 2025
Elements Green has secured €80 million (US$93.5 million) in financing from Danish investment firm Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP).
July 14, 2025
Solar and storage developer MN8 Energy has raised US$575 million to refinance three PV projects in North Carolina, Kentucky and Illinois.
July 14, 2025
OpenSolar has launched a new model to help US rooftop solar installers reduce costs and thrive despite the loss of the 30% IRA tax credit.
July 14, 2025
Analyst Wood Mackenzie has forecast that solar PV and wind installations in the US will be 100GW lower than expected between 2025 and 2030 with the removal of Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) incentives.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico
Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 22, 2025
Bilbao, Spain
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK