Domestic

JA Solar to expand capacity in 2011: CEO

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-12-20 09:39

JA Solar Holdings Co, a Chinese maker of solar cells and modules, plans to expand solar-cell production capacity by at least 30 percent next year, Bloomberg?News reported Saturday, citing the company's?chief executive officer Fang Peng.

The Shanghai-based company has an annual capacity of?two gigawatts (gW), about 2.5 times its 2009 level, Fang said in an interview in Beijing. It's in negotiations to build a solar-cell production facility in the US, he said.

Global installations of solar panels may more than double to 15.8 gW this year as developers seek to set up systems and benefit from government incentives, according to technology researcher Isuppli. Demand may rise to 19.3 gW in 2011, Isuppli said in November.

JA Solar aims to increase its global market share from 10 percent next year and is seeking opportunities in emerging markets including Canada and Africa, Fang said.

The company began producing modules this year and has reached 500 megawatts (mW)?of capacity. JA Solar has supplied modules to Italy, the US and Germany-based companies including MEMC Electronic Materials Inc, SunEdison LLC and BP Solar, Fang said.

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JA Solar also has capacity to turn out 300 mW of solar wafers, Fang said, and will expand wafer production as long as it can secure a supply chain and keep costs low.

The company said Dec 2 that it signed an agreement to buy 10 gW of wafers and polysilicon from Hong Kong-listed polysilicon maker GCL Poly Energy Holdings Ltd between 2011 and 2015.