Solaicx, a manufacturer of mono-crystalline silicon ingots and wafers for photovoltaic applications, has selected a new facility for silicon manufacturing in Portland, Ore.
The 136,000 square-foot facility, located in the Portland Rivergate Industrial District, will have an initial run-rate of 48 MW and will create roughly 100 new jobs by the end of 2007, according to Solaicx. In 2008, the company plans to expand the plant's capacity from its initial 12 silicon ingot growers to a total of 36 growers. At full capacity, the facility will produce 142 MW of solar ingots and wafers per year.
‘We looked at the state of Oregon's generous financial incentives for renewable energy and Portland's deep base of skilled labor in silicon manufacturing – and decided that the port is an ideal place for our continued growth as a company,’ says Jeff Jones, vice president of manufacturing for Solaicx. ‘This welcoming atmosphere will allow us to meet our goals and rapidly ramp up to full production by the end of 2008.’
