SANYO announces global production strategy for HIT solar cell

TOKYO, JAPAN: SANYO Electric Co. Ltd. (SANYO) has completed of the third factory building (Bldg. C) of Nishikinohama Factory (Kaizuka City, Osaka), already a mother factory for SANYO’s photovoltaic system business.

Bldg. C is expected to start high-volume production of HIT solar cells in December 2010 after installation of production equipment and completion of the necessary adjustments and tests for high-volume production.

Bldg. C of Nishikinohama Factory is going to have solar cell production equipment capable of an annual production capacity of 135MW. This will enable the Nishikinohama Factory’s overall production capacity (annual) to reach 345MW, which is more than 1.6 times the present level.

In addition, Shimane SANYO Electric Co., Ltd. (Unnan City, Shimane Prefecture), which already produces SANYO’s HIT solar cells, is planning to increase its annual production capacity to 220MW (from the current 130MW) in April 2010.

Between these two factories, SANYO will have a combined production capacity of 565MW at the end of March 2011 to keep pace with the ever-expanding world photovoltaic system market.

To provide a steady supply of solar cell modules to major markets around the world, SANYO will expand production volume based on the Japan-Europe-U.S. trilateral framework.

In Japan, SANYO operates the Shiga Factory (Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture) as its major solar cell module production base where a new factory building is scheduled to begin operation before the end of March 2011. This will increase the Shiga Factory’s production capacity from the current 100MW to 200MW.

In North America, the Monterrey Factory in Mexico has recently completed a system to increase its production capacity from the current 20MW to 50MW, with a plan to increase it to 75MW by the end of March 2010.

In Europe, the Hungary Factory (Dorog City, Hungary) currently has a production capacity of 165MW and will nearly double it to 315MW by the end of March 2011.

To keep up with the increase in production of solar cells, SANYO Solar of Oregon LLC was established to operate a plant to secure a stable supply of silicon materials. SANYO is establishing a system so that between this plant and another ingot and wafer plant operated by SANYO Solar (USA) LLC, the combined production volume will be 100MW.

Through the above-mentioned activities, SANYO will establish a PV system/module production system with a HIT solar cell production capacity of 600MW by the end of March 2011, and is determined to steadily carry out its responsibility to provide sufficient supplies in response to the active global solar cell market.