First Solar Inc., a Phoenix-headquartered manufacturer of solar modules using a thin film semiconductor process, has broken ground on its new, four-line solar module manufacturing plant in Kedah, Malaysia.
According to the company, the new plant will have an expected minimum annual capacity of 100 MW. The facility will be located in Kulim Hi Tech Park, and when fully ramped will employ approximately 500 people, First Solar says.
‘This groundbreaking represents an important step in our mission to accelerate the commercial adoption of solar energy,’ comments Heiner Eichermueller, First Solar's vice president of global manufacturing.
The construction of the plant is scheduled to be complete by late 2007, with full-volume production expected by the end of 2008, the company adds.
