For phase 1 of the Madrid expansion, annual photovoltaic (PV) cell capacity will increase from 55 MW to around 300 MW using state-of-the-art screen printing technology. The first production line at the expanded plant is expected to be fully operational before the summer.
BP Solar chose the Tres Cantos facility for one of its ‘mega’ cell plants due to confidence in the growth projections of the European market.
The move follows a recent announcement that the company is constructing a similar facility in Bangalore, India. A new 36 MW solar PV production line, developed by BP’s Indian joint venture Tata BP Solar, forms part of plans to develop a 300 MW annual capacity plant. The next phase of the expansion will see an additional 128 MW of cell manufacturing capacity added during the next year or so. Tata BP Solar expects total investment to be of the order of $300 million by 2010.
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