Centrosolar Group AG / Key word(s): Contract/Strategic Company Decision
11.01.2011 07:20
Dissemination of an Ad hoc announcement according to § 15 WpHG, transmitted
by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG.
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
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- CENTROSOLAR becoming TSMC's exclusive manufacturer of crystalline solar
modules in Europe
- 5-year contract for over 100 MWp per year, deliveries to start in Q3
2011
- Further-reaching technical cooperation
- Construction of a second module manufacturing plant in Wismar
- Wismar location to grow to around 700 jobs
Munich, January 11, 2011 - CENTROSOLAR is to become the exclusive
manufacturer in Europe of crystalline solar modules for TSMC Limited,
Taiwan. TSMC is the world's biggest semiconductor foundry and a leading
player in terms of process engineering and quality. The agreement, which
runs for 5 years, envisages a volume of initially 100 MWp per year. More
extensive cooperation in the areas of product development and process
engineering is also planned. CENTROSOLAR will be creating the capacity
required for this agreement in a new production building on a site adjacent
to the existing plant in Wismar, Germany.
CENTROSOLAR sees the signing of this agreement as confirmation of its
status as one of the most efficient and above all highest-quality
manufacturers of solar modules. This also demonstrates that it is possible
to keep manufacturing premium modules in Germany on a long-term competitive
basis. The first deliveries under the agreement are due in the third
quarter of 2011. The solar cells to be used will be supplied by TSMC
itself; CENTROSOLAR will be responsible for transforming the cells into
60-cell quality modules.
As well as the manufacturing agreement, which gives CENTROSOLAR an extra
source of revenue and income and enables it to realise economies of scale,
CENTROSOLAR and TSMC are planning further-reaching technical cooperation.
Their partnership is to focus on the development of improved module designs
andthe implementation of optimised production processes while maintaining
the high standards of quality.
The increased capacity needed both as a result of this agreement and the
continuing healthy performance of CENTROSOLAR's core business will be
created by further expanding the production facility in Wismar, Germany.
The construction of a new production hall and warehouse will create space
for upping the existing capacity from currently 200 MWp to up to 500 MWp
per year in line with demand. This will equip the company for further
growth from both its own business and from contract manufacturing. The
first phase, which is to be completed by the third quarter, involves
completing the new building with an extra 150 MWp of manufacturing
capacity. The number of jobs at Wismar will then rise by around 300 to
roughly 700. The investment volume for the first phase amounts to around
EUR 20 million. It will be financed from the company's own cash flow as
well as through subsidies and bank loans.
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Information and Explaination of the Issuer to this News:
About CENTROSOLAR
The listed company CENTROSOLAR Group AG, Munich, (stock exchange code WKN
514850) is one of the leading suppliers of photovoltaic (PV) systems for
roofs and key components, with over 1,000 employees in Europe and the USA
and annual revenue in excess of EUR 300 million (2009). Its product range
comprises solar integrated systems, modules, inverters, mounting systems
and solar glass. It generates around half its revenue internationally.
There are CENTROSOLAR branches in Spain, Italy, France, Greece,
Switzerland, the Netherlands, UK, Canada and the USA. The module plant
certified to DIN ISO 9001:2008 in Wismar is one of the largest and most
efficient such plants in Europe, with an annual capacity currently of 200
MWp. For further information, visit: www.centrosolar-group.com.
About TSMC
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Ltd. (TSMC) is the world's
largest pure-play semiconductor foundry, and transformed the semiconductor
industry with its pioneering business model of focusing solely on
manufacturing customers' semiconductor designs. Headquartered in Hsinchu,
Taiwan, TSMC serves more than four hundred customers and manufactures over
seven thousand products for them each year, representing almost 8 percent
of global IC wafer shipments. In 2009, TSMC began pursuing further growth
through new businesses, focusing on solar energy and LED lighting. In 2010,
TSMC has established TSMC Solar Europe GmbH with headquarters in Hamburg,
Germany. For more information about TSMC please visit http://www.tsmc.com.
For further information, please contact:
MetaCom Corporate Communications GmbH
Georg Biekehör, tel.: +49 (0) 6181 9828030
E-mail:g.biekehoer@go-metacom.de
11.01.2011 DGAP's Distribution Services include Regulatory Announcements,
Financial/Corporate News and Press Releases.
Media archive at www.dgap-medientreff.de and www.dgap.de
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Language: English
Company: Centrosolar Group AG
Walter-Gropius-Str. 15
80807 München
Deutschland
Phone: +49 (0)89 20 1800
Fax: +49 (0)89 20 180 555
E-mail: info@centrosolar.com
Internet: www.centrosolar.com
ISIN: DE0005148506
WKN: 514850
Listed: Regulierter Markt in Frankfurt (Prime Standard); Freiverkehr
in Berlin, Düsseldorf, München, Stuttgart
End of Announcement DGAP News-Service
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DGAP-Adhoc: CENTROSOLAR to become exclusive module manufacturer for TSMC in Europe: production capacity in Germany set to reach 350 MWp in course of this year
| Source: EQS Group AG