07.07.2011 – 09:57

centrotherm photovoltaics AG

EANS-News: centrotherm SiTec achieves important milestone at Chinese state company with "First Ingot Out"

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Company Information


Blaubeuren (euro adhoc) - July 7, 2011 - With "First Ingot Out", centrotherm
SiTec GmbH, a wholly-owned subsidiary of centrotherm photovoltaics AG, has
achieved an important production milestone at large Chinese polysilicon
manufacturer expanding to ingot at Shaanxi Province. The first 450 kilogram
ingot was produced in less than 60 hours in the multi-crystalline ingot furnace
developed by centrotherm SiTec, and has already achieved high quality standards.

"The system has impressively exceeded market standards with this commercial
production run", commented Dr. Christian Hoess, Head of Crystallization
Development. "The potentials of this technology have not yet been fully
exhausted. This furnace type offers customers upgrade options to boost capacity
by further 35% while at the same time entailing lower expenditure."

"With this "First Ingot Out" that we reached on a very ambitious timescale, we
have shown that we can offer excellent technology along the entire solar value
chain, and not only in the polysilicon and solar cell areas", noted Dr.
Albrecht Mozer, Managing Director of centrotherm SiTec. "As a provider of
technology and key equipment along the entire solar value chain, we enable our
customers to implement optimally integrated production processes entailing low
operating costs and outstanding quality." Further multi-crystalline ingot
furnaces are currently being installed and ramped up at Chinese state company.

In the multi-crystalline ingot furnace, polysilicon chunks are initially melt
in a silica crucible at over 1,450° Celsius. The silicon melt is then converted
into multi-crystalline ingots by a process of directional solidification.
Bricks and wafers are subsequently cut from these multi-crystalline ingots,
before being processed to produce solar cells and modules.

About centrotherm photovoltaics AG
centrotherm photovoltaics AG, which is based at Blaubeuren, Germany, is the
world's leading technology and equipment provider for the photovoltaics sector.
The company equips well-known solar companies and new sector entrants with
turnkey production lines and single equipment to manufacture silicon, ingots
and bricks, crystalline solar cells and modules, and thin film modules. As a
consequence, the Group possesses a broad and well-founded technological basis,
as well as key equipment at practically all steps of the photovoltaics value
chain. centrotherm photovoltaics guarantees its customers important performance
parameters such as production capacity, efficiencies, and completion deadlines.
The Group employs over 1,700 staff members, and operates in Europe, Asia and
the USA. centrotherm photovoltaics achieved revenue in the 2010 financial year
of EUR 624,2 million, EBIT of EUR 75.4 million. The company is listed in the
TecDAX index on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.

Contact:
Saskia Feil
Senior Manager Investor & Public Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8890
E-mail:  saskia.feil@centrotherm.de

Dr. Torsten Knödler
Manager Public Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8898
E-mail:  torsten.knoedler@centrotherm.de


Further inquiry note:
Dr. Torsten Knödler
Manager Public Relations
Tel.: 07344 - 918-8898
E-Mail:  torsten.knoedler@centrotherm.de

end of announcement                               euro adhoc 
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company:     centrotherm photovoltaics AG
             Johannes-Schmid-Str. 8
             D-89143 Blaubeuren
phone:       +49 (0) 7344 91880
mail:         info@centrotherm.de
WWW:         http://www.centrotherm.de
sector:      Energy
ISIN:        DE000A0JMMN2
indexes:     TecDAX
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt, free trade: Berlin,
             Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, München 
language:   English