BP Solar says it will refocus its manufacturing activities globally and reduce its unit costs by 25% by the end of 2010. To do so, the company plans to access lower-cost supplies and phase out module assembly at its Frederick, Md., plant.
Silicon casting, wafering, sizing and solar cell production will continue. The end of module assembly at Frederick will result in the elimination of approximately 140 jobs. Additionally, the company is closing its cell manufacture and module assembly facilities in Madrid, Spain, with the loss of approximately 480 positions.
‘The decision is part of our long-term strategy to grow our solar business by reducing the cost of solar power to that of conventional electricity delivered through a modern power grid, and in time without the need for government subsidy,’ says Reyad Fezzani, CEO of BP Solar.
SOURCE: BP Solar
