Following the acquisition of Etimex Solar’s Vistasolar EVA product line in June, Solutia will be expanding its Suzhou, China, operations for the inclusion of Vistasolar ethylene vinylacetate (EVA) encapsulants. The expansion includes a new building for several new EVA production lines and infrastructure for any future additional capacity needed. The lines will be able to manufacture 2.35m wide sheets with the first production line scheduled for completion in June 2011.
“Since the majority of photovoltaic module production capacity is currently located in China, the addition of EVA lines in Suzhou will allow Solutia to cost-effectively serve local demand,” said Tim Wessel, president of Solutia’s Advanced Interlayers division. “Combined with Solutia’s world-class technical service and strong commercial team in Asia, this expansion allows us to provide total encapsulant solutions to solar module manufacturers in the region.”
The Suzhou plant is currently a manufacturing site for Solutia’s Saflex polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayers for laminated glass.