Suntech to power Taiwan's largest solar power plant

WUXI, CHINA: Suntech Power Holdings Co. Ltd, the world's largest producer of crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules, will supply solar panels for what will be the biggest solar power plant in Taiwan.

Owned and operated by the Taiwan Power Company, and developed by Fortune Electric Co. Ltd., the new 4.7MW solar plant in Young'an, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, will nearly double the island's current installed solar capacity of about 5MW.

"We chose Suntech modules for superior performance and reliability, as seen in utility-scale installations across Asia, Europe, and the Americas," said Liao Wen Sing, Vice President of Fortune Electric Co., Ltd. "We look forward to working with Suntech on this momentous project - hopefully the first of many large-scale solar plants in Taiwan."

Delivery of the 16,640 advanced polycrystalline modules, each with a peak power output of up to 280 watts, will begin in June 2010. The system is scheduled to start supplying decades of clean power in early 2011.

The project is a milestone in Taiwan's efforts to raise renewable energy production capacity by more than 10GW in the next 20 years, diminish its reliance on imported fossil fuels, and to reduce carbon emissions to year-2000 levels by 2025. Given the island's abundant sunlight, solar is expected to comprise a substantial share of Taiwan's future energy portfolio.

"We have great expectations for the entire region. Asia and the Pacific already account for about one-third of the world's total energy demand, although its per-capita consumption is far less than the world's average," said Roger Ye, Suntech's President of Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (APMEA).

"The region's booming populations, strong economic growth engines, and abundant sunlight represent an exciting opportunity for solar and for Suntech." According to a November 2009 report by the Asian Development Bank, energy demand in Asia and the Pacific will grow by an estimated 2.4 percent annually for the next 20 years, a cumulative 80 percent increase between 2005 and 2030.

Suntech's industry-leading products have already been utilized all around the region, including in Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Australia, Korea, Thailand and mainland China, among others. Around the world, Suntech has delivered products to thousands of customers in more than 80 countries. This global track record is a key differentiator for the brand in both established and emerging solar markets, according to Suntech executives.

"The global nature of our operations and experience provides a unique competitive advantage as we grow in emerging Asian markets and around the world," said Dr. Zhengrong Shi, Chairman and CEO of Suntech. "We are working across borders and regions to power sustainable economic growth everywhere under the sun."