SolarWorld : 11.08.2017 SOLARWORLD INDUSTRIES STARTS A NEW

Europe's largest solar production facilities will continue producing high-performance solar products made in Germany. SolarWorld Industries GmbH is taking over the German production facilities of SolarWorld AG and the sales subsidiaries in Europe, Asia and Africa and is already restarting the solar cell and module production next week. Today, debtors and German Bundeskartellamt in Bonn have given their approval of the purchase.

More than 500 employees at all three sites, in Arnstadt, Freiberg and Bonn, will start at the new company. The implementation of a transfer company is planned for a further 1,200 employees.

Shareholders of SolarWorld Industries GmbH are SolarWorld founder Frank Asbeck and Qatar Solar Technologies, a subsidiary of the nonprofit organization Qatar Foundation. The new SolarWorld Industries GmbH will exclusively focus on the production of premium products based on monocrystalline PERC solar cells, such as glass-glass modules with the capability to produce energy on both sides of the module. For customers, SolarWorld Quality means outstanding durability of the solar modules, highest efficiency and thus lower costs per kilowatt produced.

Dr.-Ing. E. H. Frank Asbeck: 'I am delighted that after tough negotiations, we have succeeded in developing a future for SolarWorld production. With this restart, we will ensure that solar products are still being developed and produced at a highest level in Germany. SolarWorld remains the crystallization point of the European solar industry. In addition, we want to open our research department more for industry partners in order to jointly promote solar technology.'

Plans are to start with production capacity of 700 MW, which also can be reverted to the previous capacity of more than 1,000 MW. At the beginning, the company will have 515 employees. Twelve percent of them are employed in research and development and more than 5 percent are trainees. 'In the past weeks, we have received considerable support from the solar industry of researchers, suppliers and European competitors, but especially from our customers, in order to maintain the sites and the SolarWorld brand. Thus, we have already going to signe today a new contract for the new company of 25 megawatts,' Asbeck says.