China Ordnance, Thai Green Energy In Silicon Solar Supply Pact
By Jonathan Shieber, Of DOW JONES CLEAN TECHNOLOGY INSIGHT
SHANGHAI -(Dow Jones)- A Chinese state-owned thin-film solar manufacturer with
ties to the country's military-industrial giants is beginning to expand outside
of China.
Beijing-based China Ordnance Equipment Industry Group Co. has signed its first
deal to supply thin-film silicon to a project developer in Southeast Asia, the
company said in a statement Monday.
Through an exclusive cooperation agreement with the Thai Green Energy Co.
Ltd., China Ordnance Equipment Group, a subsidiary of China South Industries
Group Corp., will supply thin-film-based photovoltaic solar modules throughout
Southeast Asia, according to the statement.
Countries covered by the agreement include Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar,
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brunei and East
Timor.
Under the agreement, the two will create a joint venture, the Ordnance
Equipment Group of Thailand. They expect the venture will supply enough modules
to develop approximately 100 megawatts of solar-power projects.
In August, China Ordnance Equipment Industry Group said it began manufacturing
amorphous silicon-based solar modules and that the company would ultimately
invest CNY8 billion ($1.2 billion) to develop an annual output capacity of 500
MW of photovoltaic modules.
For now, China Ordnance Group is working with a 50-MW production line, and
earlier in August the company said it had signed an agreement with the
government of the northeastern province of Jilin to develop three industrial
bases in the Changchun High-tech Zone.
China Ordnance's development efforts will focus on wind power equipment
manufacturing and the research and development of new wind technologies, solar
manufacturing using thin-film production methods, and the development of new
transmission, distribution and storage technologies, according to a statement
from the Jilin government issued earlier in October.
China Ordnance and its parent China South Industries Group Corp. were created
in the reorganization of China's defense industry in 1998 and 1999.
At the time, the central government split its main military and industrial
manufacturers into the civilian-facing China South Industries Group and the more
military-minded China North Industries Corp., or Norinco.
Norinco has been sanctioned by the U.S. government for allegedly selling
missile technology to Iran, and sells arms to governments around the globe.
(Dow Jones Clean Technology Insight covers news about public and private
clean-technology and alternative-energy companies.)
-By Jonathan Shieber, Dow Jones Clean Technology Insight; 8621-6120-1200;
jonathan.shieber@dowjones.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
11-02-091750ET
Copyright (c) 2009 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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