Green Energy to Open Silicon Ingot Factory in Inner Mongolia
23 July 2008
Green Energy Technology Inc, a photovoltaic subsidiary of the Tatung Group, will open a silicon-ingot factory in Inner Mongolia, which is the third-largest region of mainland China spanning almost 300 million acres, or 12 percent of the mainland`s area.
Green Energy General Manger HL Lin said Inner Mongolia has several advantages for produciton of the ingot including its far cheaper labor, electrical power and the argon gas (an integral substanc required in the production). Besides, the automous region`s capital city of Hohhot is only 40 minute flight from Beijing.
The Taiwanese company has aquired 200 acres of land in Hohhot as the site for the planned factory and "backup" of a polycrystalline-silicon manufacturer held by the mainland`s state-run China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp (CASC). The polycrystalline-silicon manufactuer will launch new capacity by the end of this year to put out 1,500 metric tons a year of the silicon materials for Green Energy`s new factory. Output is planned to rise to 7,500 metric tons, most of which will go to Green Energy`s planned factory.
Construciton of the ingot factory is expected to start some time this quarter at earliest and complete by the end of this year. Output is planned at 1,000 MW, more than triple its output in Taiwan. Once fully online, the factory is estimated to generate revenue up to NT$100 billion a year.
Green Energy is first Taiwanese solar energy manfuacturer to open produciton in the mainland`s northernmost territory, which is noted for abundance of natural resources.
Taiwanese industry watchers point out that the lucrative mainland China`s solar energy market has lured many Taiwanese solar energy operators to set up plants there.
