Saint-Gobain to build a second plant in Germany to produce photovoltaic modules

As part of its solar power growth strategy, Saint-Gobain [France] has announced that its subsidiary Avancis, will be building a new plant to produce photovoltaic modules to cover the roofs of residential, industrial and commercial buildings, as well as solar plants. This industrial site will be located in Torgau, Germany, where the Group is already present through Saint-Gobain Glass (flat glass and coated glass), Saint-Gobain Sekurit (automotive glass) and Avancis (PV modules).

This new plant will be Avancis' second German facility manufacturing thin-film CIGS (Copper - Indium - Gallium - Selenide) photovoltaic panels. It will be built close to the first Avancis industrial site. The new Avancis plant will have a production output of 100 MWp/year, capable of supplying, year after year, the electricity needs for cities of 15,000 inhabitants. With a surface area of 25,000 square meters, the site should come on stream by the first quarter of 2012, according to a June 7 PRNewswire report..

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