Jan 12 2011
AQT Solar, a developer and supplier of copper-indium-gallium-diselenide (CIGS) thin-film solar cells, declared that it has chosen Richland County, South Carolina to install its second production facility.
Earlier in August 2010, the company had opened its first 15 MW facility at Sunnyvale, California and is planning to increase the production capacity to 30 to 40 MW by the end of the year 2011.
Drawn by the strong solar market and growing demand for clean energy products AQT has chosen South Carolina to locate its second production facility. Also the number of universities and technical institutions located in the region will enable the company to acquire educated and trained labor force required for the job positions. The new production facility to be located in Carolina Pines development in Richland County will commence the production of the advance type of CIGS solar cells in the early part of the year 2012. AQT Solar has unveiled its plans to construct the facility in stages and the first phase will have a production capacity of 30 to 40 MW and offer job positions to 60 local people. The project when completed in a period of four years will employ around 1,000 people.
AQT has plans to generate over 1,000 job positions at its 184,000 square foot LEED Silver Certified manufacturing facility. The site will have specialized additions in the early part of the current year and will allow the company to expand its production capabilities to manage its present order backlog of 160 MW. AQT has plans to clear a part of its backlog through its Sunnyvale production facility.