Mitsubishi Electric to Expand Photovoltaic Production Capacity

Mitsubishi Electric Corp. of Japan announced on December 16, 2003, that it will expand its annual production capacity of photovoltaic (PV) systems from 50 to 90 megawatts (MW) by July 2004. The company expects both domestic and overseas demand for PV systems to increase in a context of growing awareness of environmental issues.

The company plans to invest about 3.3 billion yen (U.S.$30.84 million) in upgrading production plants that produce both PV cells and modules. This will result in an 80 percent increase of its annual production capacity of PV cell and module lines by July 2004. Moreover, it aims to expand PV capacity to the 130 MW level in or after 2005.

Mitsubishi Electric entered the market for residential PV systems in 1996 and launched Japan's first large-scale production of lead-free solder modules in January 2003. The company will further strengthen its production capacity, in order to take the lead in the development of more environmentally friendly PV systems and to promote the widespread use of these systems.

According to the company, total world output of PV systems was 560 MW (of which Japan's production was 251 MW) in 2002, up 43 percent from the previous year.



Posted: 2004/03/01 09:12:00 AM
Japanese version