16 December 2011

Avancis’ second plant begins operation, boosting production capacity six-fold

Avancis GmbH of Torgau, Germany, which since autumn 2009 has been a subsidiary of Saint-Gobain of Courbevoie, France (which designs, makes and distributes building materials and electronic materials), has begun production of its copper indium selenide (CIS) thin-film PV modules at its second plant. The new factory has an annual capacity of 100MWp per year (expanding Avancis’ total production capacity six-fold, from 20MWp to 120MWp).

Construction began in June 2010 and was completed on schedule within just 18 months. At peak production on an area of 25,000m², the firm can now produce more than 800,000 modules annually – enough to supply a town of 15,000 inhabitants with electricity for a year. With more than 200 new jobs created, Avancis’ staffing will double from 250 to almost 500.

“Developed and built by our own factory planning team and equipped with the most modern equipment by established German equipment manufactures, we will produce the next generation of CIS solar modules,” says CEO Hartmut Fischer.

The multiplication of production capacity also means an expansion of the module portfolio. As part of this, Avancis is bringing together its existing and new product lines under the PowerMax brand. The established product line that (which has used this name until now) will be renamed PowerMax STRONG as of 1 January; the module design and functions of the product line will remain unchanged. The new product line (whiuch will be produced in the new plant) will be launched on the market in spring 2012 under the name PowerMax SMART.

The new product line (including all necessary quality certificates) should be commercially available by the end of first-quarter 2012. “By then we will also have concluded the start-up phase of the new facility as well as the certification of the new product line,” says Fischer.

To mark the commercial market launch of PowerMax SMART, Avancis is planning an event in Torgau in spring 2012, to be attended by investors, politicians and customers. Until then, the new product line (currently in the certification phase) will be available upon request.

Avancis is also in the process of building a third plant (with an annual capacity of 100MWp) in South Korea as part of the Hyundai-Avancis joint venture, which was formed in October 2010 between Saint-Gobain and South Korea’s Hyundai Heavy Industries Co Ltd (HHI).

Tags: Avancis CIS PV module

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