COURBEVOIE, France: After
launching the construction of a second Avancis plant in Germany (last June),
Saint-Gobain has announced, in association with Hyundai Heavy Industries Co.,
Ltd.(HHI), the building of a third high-efficiency PV panels facility in
Korea. This partnership between the two groups will take the form of a 50-50
joint-venture, called Hyundai Avancis. The first manufacturing facility for
the joint-venture will be designed identically to the second Avancis plant
currently under construction in Germany, both in manufacturing capacity and
technology terms. In this way, it will produce an annual volume of 850,000
modules based on CIGS (Copper - Indium - Gallium - Selenide) thin-film
technology, designed for roofs and solar fields. In other words, an annual
power output of 100 MW, or the equivalent yearly energy requirements of a
town with 15,000 inhabitants. The site should be operational from the 2nd
quarter of 2012 and will supply the global market. Its modules will be
marketed independently by Avancis and HHI.
Based on depositing coatings of CIGS on a glass substrate, the technology
developed by Avancis avoids using traditional crystalline silicon. This
technology makes it possible to imagine production costs as low as other
thin-film based techniques, while its electrical efficiency (above 12%
industrially and up to 20% in the laboratory) is close to the higher yields
achieved using polycrystalline silicon cells. As well as being suitable for
solar fields, CIGS thin-film based modules are especially recommended for
roof installations, due to their simplicity of assembly, their attractive
appearance and their reliability.
"With this investment, Saint-Gobain significantly accelerates its growth
on the solar market, by banking on a competitive and innovative technology.
This latest illustration of the Group's commitment to renewable energies
testifies to the growth potential of Avancis, the reference player on the
high-efficiency thin-film PV modules market" states Pierre-Andre de
Chalendar, Chairman and CEO of Compagnie de Saint-Gobain. "Already well
located in Korea (particularly in Flat Glass where it has 4 float lines and
several processing units for the automotive and building sectors),
Saint-Gobain strengthens its position in this country in association with
HHI, whose industrial and technological know-how is recognized worldwide"
declares Jean-Pierre Floris, Senior Vice-President of Compagnie de
Saint-Gobain and President of the Innovative Materials Sector.
"By expanding into the high-efficiency CIGS PV market, under a
joint-venture with Saint-Gobain, HHI is on track with its plan to become a
global supplier in the renewable energy sector via innovation and
diversification. Above all, HHI will be one step closer to achieving the
global commitment of pursuing an era of clean energy. We believe that we will
soon fulfill these commitments that will provide a strong foundation for our
future generations," says Keh-Sik Min, Chairman of Hyundai Heavy Industries.
In 2010, the PV solar power market has grown tremendously and installed
power worldwide is currently estimated at 30 GW, i.e. enough energy to meet
the requirements of 5 million Western Europeans. This rise should continue at
a steady pace over the years to come, enabling the sector to grow by relying
less on public subsidies.
Saint-Gobain
Located in 64 countries with over 190,000 employees, Saint-Gobain, the
world leader in the habitat and construction markets, designs, manufactures
and distributes building materials, providing innovative solutions to meet
growing demand in emerging and mature countries, for energy efficiency and
for environmental protection. Saint-Gobain Solar combines all Saint-Gobain
businesses in the solar sector. Present over the whole value chain, the
Saint-Gobain Solar strategy hinges on three independent activities:
- The manufacturing and sale of high-tech components for PV
modules (special glass, high-performance plastics...) and
high-performance mirrors for solar thermal plant operators.
- The production, through its Avancis company, of thin-film PV
modules based on CIGS technology (Copper - Indium - Gallium -
Selenide), designed for distributors, systems integrators and solar
plant operators.
- The design and marketing of PV solutions for residential
homes, office buildings, industrial and farm installations.
Hyundai Heavy Industries
Hyundai Heavy Industries has maintained a leading position in the world
shipbuilding market and is now a leading integrated heavy industries company
with six business divisions: Shipbuilding, Offshore & Engineering, Industrial
Plant & Engineering, Engine & Machinery, Electro-Electric Systems, and
Construction Equipment.
HHI is one of the rare companies manufacturing both advanced Solar Power
and Wind Turbine system products, making it stand out as a genuine and
professional renewable energy company. HHI is South Korea's sole company that
is able to produce entire solar value chain products ranging from
polysilicon, solar cell and solar module all the way to power conditioning
systems. HHI is currently expanding facilities to increase annual production
capacity of silicon solar cell and modules from 330MW to 600MW.
In August 2010, HHI won a USD 700 million contract to build a 175MW solar
power plant from US based Matinee Energy.
Analyst & Investor relations
Florence Triou-Teixeira +33-1-47-62-45-19
Etienne Humbert +33-1-47-62-30-49
Vivien Dardel +33-1-47-62-44-29
Press relations
Saint-Gobain:
Sophie Chevallon +33-1-47-62-30-48
Hyundai Heavy Industries:
hskim@hhi.co.kr
SOURCE Saint-Gobain and Hyundai Heavy Industries
