Based on its preliminary figures for fiscal-year 2007, Q-Cells AG says it increased production in 2007 to 389.2 MWp (from 253.1 MWp in 2006), representing year-over-year growth of 54%. Additionally, sales rose by 59% to EUR 858.9 million.
The company expects fiscal-year 2008 sales to total approximately EUR 1.2 billion, while total production of monocrystalline and polycrystalline cells and thin-film modules should rise to between 565 MWp and 590 MWp in 2008.
To allow rapid growth to continue, Q-Cells has further expanded its production capacity. In its core business – the production of monocrystalline and polycrystalline solar cells based in silicon wafers – the company has completed the ramp-up of the first two phases of expansion of production line V and is now starting work on the construction of production line VI in Bitterfeld-Wolfen. The first phase of expansion with a production capacity of 130 MWp is to start production in the fourth quarter of 2008.
Also, Q-Cells is constructing the company's seventh production line in Malaysia. This polycrystalline solar cell factory should reach a production capacity of more than 300 MWp over several phases of expansion. Construction will start in the second quarter of 2008, and the ramp-up phase (160 MWp) is expected to start in the first quarter of 2009.
Additionally, Calyxo GmbH, which produces thin-film modules using a patented cadmium telluride technology, will be extended beyond the capacity of 25 MWp currently under construction in 2008. Calyxo will construct an additional line with 60 MWp, which will start production in the second quarter of 2009.
