Space Energy Corporation, a Japanese wafer manufacturer based in Tokyo, Japan,
and with production sites in China’s Jinzhou and Zhuolu cities, is tooling up with Meyer Burger wire saws for the expansion of its wafer capacity in the city of Saku, in the Nagano prefecture in Japan. In addition to the factory in Japan, Space Energy has already equipped its factories in China with Meyer Burger wire saws in the past. In its domestic factory, Space Energy had considered only Japanese manufacturers until now. For Meyer Burger this is an important contract and confirms, that its expertise is successfully acknowledged even in such competitive markets as Japan. The first machine will be shipped as early as December 2007. All other shipments will be made from the second half of 2008 onwards.
Meyer Burger Technology AG (SWX Swiss Exchange: MBTN) announced today, that the company had successfully concluded with Space Energy Corporation (http://www.space-energy.co.jp) a contract to supply wire saws. Due to the worldwide strongly growing solar demands, Space Energy is expanding its existing production capacities for the integrated manufacture of mono- and multi-crystalline silicon wafers with Meyer Burger’s wire saws.
The contract for the wire saws amounts to more than CHF 20 million. Delivery of the first machine is scheduled for December 2007. The main expansion of production capacity and
the supply of additional wire saws will take place from the second half of 2008 onwards.
“Japan is one the most important markets in the solar industry. For this reason we are very pleased to have won Space Energy Corporation as a customer also in the Japanese market now, with our wire saws and many years of expertise in the development of new technologies, systems and services” said Peter Pauli, Meyer Burger’s CEO. “Japan is certainly one of the more demanding markets in our industry. Our presence over many years in Japan and the consistent optimisation of manufacturing costs, the costs of ownership (CO) in other words,
for our customers with advanced technology in slicing, but also the integrated wafer production has meant in the final analysis that we have also succeeded in gaining a foothold in the Japanese solar industry”.
Toshinao Nimura, Space Energy’s President, states: “Meyer Burger’s development to a
world-leading technology concern, driving forward systems and processes for machining and processing crystal materials, convinced us. We are looking forward to a continuing, committed, long-term and constructive cooperation”.
About Meyer Burger Technology Ltd
http://www.meyerburger.ch/
Meyer Burger Technology Ltd is a leading and globally active technology group for innovative systems and processes for cutting and handling crystalline and other high-grade materials.
The machines, competences and technologies of the different companies in the group are used in the solar industry (photovoltaics), semi-conductor and optical industry. The thinnest wafers made from silicon, sapphire or other crystals are required in these three markets to manufacture solar modules, switching circuits or high-performance LEDs. The group’s core competences are made up of a whole range of production processes, machines and systems that are used within the value chain in the manufacture of high quality wafers. The comprehensive range of products is complemented by a worldwide service network with wear and tear parts, consumables, re-grooving service, process know-how, servicing, after-sales service, training and other services. As a globally active company, the group is represented in Europe, Asia and North America in the respective key markets.
Meyer Burger has its headquarters and the production facility of Meyer Burger Ltd in Switzerland, while the group companies, Meyer Burger Automation GmbH, Hennecke Systems GmbH and and AMB Apparate + Maschinenbau GmbH, have their headquarters and production facilities in Germany. The group also has subsidiaries and own service centres in Germany, Norway, China and Japan, which all are represented by its own staff on-site. In Taiwan and the USA, Meyer Burger works with independent sales and service partners that are part of Meyer Burger’s global service network. In other important countries the company relies on selected independent agents. Meyer Burger generated net sales of CHF 455 million in fiscal year 2008 and employed more than 630 staff worldwide as of year end 2008.
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