Showa Shell to Become Largest CIS PV Module Producer in Japan

Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., a major Japanese oil company, announced on September 7, 2009, that its subsidiary, Showa Shell Solar K.K., will construct their third copper-indium-selenium photovoltaic (CIS PV) module plant in Miyazaki Prefecture. With an annual production capacity of 900 megawatts (MW), the new plant, scheduled to start operations in 2011, is expected to become the largest CIS PV module plant in Japan. Combined with the first and second plants, Showa Shell will have a total annual production capacity of 1,000 MW (one gigawatt), surpassing Sharp Corp. to become the largest producer in Japan.

Showa Shell Solar has been developing technologies in manufacturing CIS PV modules without using silicon, which is in short supply. The company built its first plant in Miyazaki and started commercial production there in 2007, producing 20 MW per year. The second plant, which was completed in April 2009, also in Miyazaki, started producing 60 MW per year in June. With regard to the new plant, Showa Shell plans to purchase the Miyazaki plant owned by Hitachi Plasma Display Ltd. so that PV module manufacturing equipment can be installed there to quickly launch operations.

PV power generation has been gaining attention as a mean to address global warming. The Japanese government increased the availability of subsidies for households for PV power generation system installations and established a new solar power buyback program, which is to be launched in November 2009. Expecting the oil business market to contract and the PV cell market to expand, the company plans to pursue domestic markets aggressively for all types of PV applications, including residential, industrial, and large-scale electricity generation, while expanding globally.

Showa Shell to Quadruple Photovoltaic Module Production (Related JFS article)
http://www.japanfs.org/en/pages/026886.html
Announcement on the Investment in the Third CIS Photovoltaic Module Plant of Showa Shell Solar K.K.
http://www.showa-shell.co.jp/english/
press_release/pr2009/0907.html