The Bosch Group, based in Germany, says it will expand its photovoltaics business by opening a new manufacturing site in the Batu Kawan region in Penang, Malaysia. With a planned investment of some 520 million euros, the construction project for the new manufacturing site is one of the biggest in the company's history.
The new manufacturing site will mainly serve Asia's solar energy market, which is posting strong growth, the company notes. Components for manufacturing sites in other countries will also be produced at the new Malaysia site. Construction of the new site is set to begin before the end of this year.
The facility will focus on the entire solar value chain, from silicon crystals and ingots to PV cells and modules, says Holger von Hebel, chairman of Bosch Solar Energy AG. The start of production is planned for the end of 2013.
