SolarWorld advances $1B plan for Qatar factory


SolarWorld, the German company with a plant in Hillsboro, is moving forward with a plan to build a $1 billion plant in Qatar.

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SolarWorld, the German company with a plant in Hillsboro, is moving forward with a plan to build a $1 billion plant in Qatar.

SolarWorld’s joint venture with Qatar Solar Technologies and the Qatar Development Bank has awarded a construction contract for the plant to be built north of Doha, capital of the tiny Persian Gulf nation. Punj Lloyd Group will build the factory, which will begin operating as soon as the second half of 2013, making as much as 8,000 tons of silicon a year in an energy-intensive process. 

“By expanding our capacities for silicon production, we further reduce the costs for clean solar power,” Frank Asbeck, SolarWorld chief executive, said in a news release. 

SolarWorld faces intense pressure from Chinese competitors to cut costs. Polysilicon prices have also plunged, cutting prices of solar panels worldwide.

Read more at OregonLive.com.

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