News
Solarion wins major Asian investor Walsin Lihwa - Investment of over € 60 million planned in Leipzig
28 Oct 2010
Construction of a solar fab with 140 employees in Leipzig
The Asian Walsin Lihwa Corporation (TWSE: 1605) chooses solar technology from Leipzig. Through its wholly owned subsidiary, Ally Energy, Walsin Lihwa will invest 40 million euro and takes a 49 percent stake of Solarion AG, a specialist in flexible thin film solar cells and modules. Under involvement of the Development Bank of Saxony the investment is awarded with a grant of more than 20 million euro.
The contracts were signed today between Yu-Lon Chiao, Chairman of Walsin Lihwa, Dieter Waffel, CEO of AllMerus Energy Ltd and Supervisory Board Chairman of Solarion AG, Dr. Karsten Otte, CEO of Solarion AG and Dr. Alexander Braun, CTO of Solarion in the ballroom of the new city hall in Leipzig.
In the first stage, an integrated cell and module factory with an annual production output of 20 megawatts and a staff of 140 employees will be constructed in the near vicinity of the BMW Leipzig assembly plant. Subsequently it planned to set up a manufacturing plant with 180 megawatts of annual production capacity. In addition, both parties have signed agreements on technical cooperation and licensing. As part of a technological cooperation, the thin-film technology will be enhanced.
After several years of development this paves Solarions’s way into mass production. "We are pleased that we have found Walsin Lihwa, a global player and a strong partner, to support our long-planned global expansion strategy of cost leadership," explains Dr. Karsten Otte. "Through our advanced technology and novel solar module properties, we will significantly decrease the cost of photovoltaic power generation." The company also received support of various sites in its recent development. "We want to express our thanks especially to the Saxon Development Bank, CMS Hasche Sigle Düsseldorf, Euflex, Apricum and the Economic Development Offices of Saxony and Leipzig," Dr. Otte concluded.
"The CIGS technology has the highest efficiency potential in the photovoltaic thin film area. Together with the favorable cost structure of Solarion’s processes, we will attain a leadership position in the photovoltaics market,” said Yu-Lon Chiao. "A sustainable energy supply is one of the most important social and political challenges. Therefore, the cooperation with Solarion is an important step in the business development of Walsin Lihwa."
"In the past years Solarion has developed a powerful solar technology in cooperation with research and industrial partners. I am especially pleased that this technology will be transferred into mass manufacturing together with the Asian company Walsin here in Central Europe. This shows the high quality of this location." said Mr. Sven Morlok, Saxon State Minister of Economic Affairs, Labor and Transport at today's event.
The City of Leipzig has accompanied the development of Solarion for many years. In particular intensive efforts were undertaken by the Economic Development Office and the Environmental Protection Office to assist the young company on their way to success. Leipzig's mayor Burkhard Jung remarks: "A company with such an innovative technology fits perfectly to our city and is an important addition to the development of the Energy City of Leipzig. Solarion AG creates many jobs in an area where we need them urgently. I hope the company is undergoing a fast development into a very strong partner as a member of our cluster energy and environmental technology.
Solarion
Solarion AG is developing, producing and offering high-efficient and low-cost thin-film solar modules using Copper-Indium-Gallium-Diselenide (CIGS).
Solarion’s technology is based on a proprietary ion-beam assisted deposition of the CIGS absorber in a roll-to-roll process. The advantages of this technology are its low deposition temperature, improved solar cell efficiency, higher process speed as well as lower energy and material costs. The utilization of a flexible carrier enables new fields of photovoltaic applications.
Solarion was founded in 2000 in Leipzig, Germany, and has established the first European pilot-line for the manufacturing of flexible and highly efficient CIGS thin-film cells on a flexible carrier material in 2002.
Walsin Lihwa Corporation
Founded in 1966, Walsin Lihwa Corporation has been a leading manufacturer of wire & cable and specialty steel in the Greater China region and now an international conglomerate with diverse investments in high-tech industry and financial investment. In recent years Walsin Lihwa has entered new businesses covering MEMS, LED and solar energy technology based on a long-term strategy.
Walsin Lihwa is located in Taipei, Taiwan with over 20 operation sites worldwide, mainly based in Taiwan and China.
Contact
Stefan Nitzsche
Tel: 49 (0) 34 297 6088-36
www.solarion.de
presse@solarion.de
AllMerus Energy Ltd. acquires 49MW biomass plant in Germany
19 Dec 2008
AllMerus Energy Ltd., through Euro Holdings, has acquired the Biomasse Heizkraftwerk Herbrechtingen CHP plant in Germany from a group of owners.
Euro Holdings, which is managed by a London-based energy asset acquisition and development company AllMerus Energy Ltd., said it had bought the plant from previous owners Sturm Gruppe, a German automation and process engineering specialist, Finnish heat and power generator Fortum and German engineering consultant Ingenieurbüro Oskar von Miller, a subsidiary of OVM/ECH Consulting. The plant, which began operation in 2004, has a total firing capacity of 49MW of which 15MW is electrical energy. It also provides steam to two customers; Wismar-based German Pellets and Sturm Holz, a timber processing company, both of which have production units located adjacent to the plant. AllMerus Energy Ltd.’s operations and development company NovusEnergy, based in Germany, will operate and manage the Herbrechtingen plant. The current O&M team will transition to Biomasse Heizkraftwerk Herbrechtingen after an initial six-month period, a company spokesperson said.
25MW biomass plant project development in Brunsbüttel, Germany, starts commercial operations
13 Oct 2008
30MW Biomass CHP plant Brunsbüttel near Hamburg has started commercial operations.
After about 18 months of construction, the Brunsbüttel biomass power plant – one of the largest fresh wood biomass plants – was successfully put into operation. The Euro 24 million investment was developed by NovusEnergy GmbH, the German development company of AllMerus Energy Ltd. The project was started at the end of 2006 as a joint venture between NovusEnergy GmbH as the major shareholder and Stadtwerke Flensburg, the local municipal utility. The plant uses a conventional air-cooled grate-firing process with a total firing capacity of 30MW, of which 7MW is electrical energy. Brunsbüttel uses ca. 80.000 tons per year of untreated biomass fuel per year which classifies as “Nawaro” fuel under German renewables legislation.