New cell production plant formally opened in Arnstadt First part of € 530 million investment complete
· Production capacity tripled
· First step toward integrated production plant
· Opening ceremony for entire Arnstadt complex in summer 2011
· A total of 1,100 jobs to be created
Arnstadt, Germany – Bosch Solar Energy AG has formally opened its new crystalline solar cell production plant, the first phase in the extension of its solar production facilities in Arnstadt, Thuringia. The new production facilities will enable Bosch to provide extra capacity of 10,000 cells an hour, which works out to around 90 million solar cells a year. That is the equivalent of the total output required to supply all private households in the nearby city of Erfurt with its population of just over 200,000.
In addition to cells, the new, 12,000 square-meter plant also includes part of the wafer production. Thus, with the completion of this facility Bosch Solar Energy achieved the first step towards an integrated factory which will unite all steps in the production process – from silicon ingots to finished modules. Another important move towards an integrated cell and module production will be the completion of the module production facility next door over the coming months. “We will thus cover the complete crystalline value creation chain down to the basic material of polysilicon. This not only guarantees optimum performance and quality from our products, but also enables us to leverage cost reduction and technology potential far more effectively,” says Holger von Hebel, Chief Executive at Bosch Solar Energy AG.
With this new plant, Bosch Solar Energy AG is looking to almost triple its nominal capacity to around 630 megawatts peak and thus provide a major boost to its growth strategy. The expansion of its facilities will be completed next year when the research and development center and the new main administrative building are finished. The opening ceremony for the whole complex will be held in summer 2011.
Bosch will have invested around € 530 million in this location by 2012. This is supposed to create a total of 1,100 jobs.
Bosch Solar Energy AG, together with its subsidiaries, is a leading provider of resource-saving photovoltaic products. Bosch Solar Energy offers its customers high-efficiency crystalline and thin-film products. Currently, Bosch Solar Energy AG and its subsidiaries employ over 1,500 workers. For more information please visit www.bosch-solarenergy.de. The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. In the areas of automotive and industrial technology, consumer goods, and building technology, some 275,000 associates generated sales of 38.2 billion euros in fiscal 2009. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its more than 300 subsidiaries and regional companies in over 60 countries. If its sales and service partners are included, then Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for growth. Each year, Bosch spends more than 3.5 billion euros for research and development, and applies for some 3,800 patents worldwide. With all its products and services, Bosch enhances the quality of life by providing solutions which are both innovative and beneficial. The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861-1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant up-front investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-two percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The majority of voting rights are held by Robert Bosch Industrietreuhand KG, an industrial trust. The entrepreneurial ownership functions are carried out by the trust. The remaining shares are held by the Bosch family and by Robert Bosch GmbH. Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.com. |