The new plants (the other facility being slated for the US) are intended to help the Tempe, Arizona (US) firm keep pace with strong demand for its product.
Together, combined with previously announced expansions, will nearly double the company’s production capacity from 1.4 GW in 2010 to more than 2.7 GW in 2012.
Currently capacity constrained, First Solar is also adding new manufacturing lines to existing production facilities, including a total of eight at its Kulim (Malaysia) plant, four lines in Frankfurt (Germany), and two lines in Blanquefort (France).
“These expansions provide proximity to growing demand while supporting our roadmap to drive down the cost of clean, sustainable solar electricity,’ said First Solar CEO Rob Gillette. “Effective government policies provide long-term visibility and enable sustainable markets.”
Site selection for the new plants has yet to be finalized. Nevertheless, the company said the projects will create 600 jobs, and will be designed to accommodate additional production capacity.
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