DOW JONES NEWSWIRES
As solar-power companies expand manufacturing capacity to take
advantage of growing global demand for their products, Chinese
companies have dominated factory expansions this year, according to
a study released Thursday by iSuppli Corp.
Of the 10 solar-panel and solar-cell makers that have announced
the largest expansion plans this year, seven are Chinese companies,
according to iSuppli. Together, the Chinese companies are set to
expand manufacturing capacity by 6.4 gigawatts, or about 72% of the
10 companies' expansion, according to iSuppli, a market research
firm based in El Segundo, Calif.
"While European countries like Germany are leading the world in
solar installations, China has built a dominant position in the
manufacturing of cells and modules that are used in these systems,"
Greg Sheppard, iSuppli's chief research officer, said in a
statement. "With Chinese cell and module manufacturers now engaged
in a race to expand manufacturing, the country is certain to
maintain and expand its dominant position."
China-based LDK Solar Co. Ltd. (LDK), is expanding the most this
year, with 1.3 gigawatts of new solar-panel manufacturing capacity
expected in 2010, iSuppli said.
Norway-based Renewable Energy Corp. ASA (REC.OS) is second, with
plans to expand manufacturing capacity this year by nearly 1.1
gigawatts, followed by China-based Suntech Power Holdings Co. Inc.
(STP, K3ND.SG), which plans to expand production by a little more
than 1 gigawatt this year.
ISuppli estimated that the global solar-photovoltaic industry
will spend about $11 billion this year on production equipment,
including equipment used to make solar-panel components such as
ingots, wafers and polysilicon.
-By Cassandra Sweet, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-269-4446;
cassandra.sweet@dowjones.com