BP Solar To Build One Of The Largest Photovoltaic Module Assembly Factories In Europe
BP Solar announced that it will begin construction in the second quarter of 2008 of a module assembly factory in the industrial park of La Nava II, in Puertollano (Castilla La Mancha), Spain. This represents an investment of around €100 million.
The new plant will use state-of-the-art technology to manufacture photovoltaic solar modules. The production capacity, in phase one, would be up to 300 MW per year, which means enough energy to meet the needs of between 150,000 and 200,000 homes and a saving of approximately 420,000 tons in CO2 emissions per year. A further possibility, once the phase one is in production and dependent on the conditions of the market, is the implementation of a second phase expansion of the plant to reach production capacity of up to 500MW.
The BP Solar factory in Puertollano will not only bring about social benefits but will deliver major advances in the economic development of the area as it is expected to generate 500-600 direct new jobs. The opening of the factory is claimed to set a benchmark in technological development in the field of the large-scale production of photovoltaic modules worldwide.
Alfredo Barrios, Chairman of BP Group in Spain stated, "This project has been made possible thanks to the support from the central, regional and local governments These institutions have worked, alongside BP Solar, to help deliver a project that will provide numerous social benefits through job creation and also the development of a sustainable environment."
Emilio Camblor, Strategy Delivery Manager from BP Solar in Spain commented, "This project is part of BP Solar’s ambitious growth plans. The new facility gives us additional capacity located in our key market – Europe – and it confirms our commitment to both the region and Spain as a competitive environment in which to do business."
