Sharp Corp. revealed plans to spend nearly 100 billion yen (US$ 877.05 million) on a solar cell factory to be built in Sakai, Japan. The facility is slated to produce thin-film solar cells beginning in fiscal 2009. The company expects the plant to become the world’s largest solar cell plant, with an annual production capacity of 1,000mw.
The plant, which Sharp describes as the "Manufacturing Complex for the 21st Century", will be built next to the company’s LCD panel factory currently under construction. In addition to the horizontal deployment of its proprietary thin-film technology to LCD panel and solar cell plants, Sharp has invited relevant infrastructure and material and equipment manufacturers to construct their plants on the site. The company states that fourteen companies are slated to participate.
