Photovoltaic news and pv jobs

Calyxo ramps up thin film capacity in Germany

Calyxo GmbH will ramp up capacity of its cadmium telluride (CdTe) thin film photovoltaic modules in Germany’s in Saxony-Anhalt.

Calyxo GmbH is aiming to have the largest CdTe module production in Europe by the end of 2012.

Calyxo

Located in Bitterfeld/Wolfen-Thalheim, the company, which formerly belonged to Q.Cells before being taken over by Solar Fields last February, has said it will increase production from 25 megawatts peak (MWp) to 80 MWp by the end of this year via a second production line.

In a statement released, the company said, "CdTe technology has an enormous potential to reduce the costs of solar power generation. Thin-film solar cells are economic to manufacture and can convert solar energy to electricity under the most unfavourable weather conditions. The modules still operate efficiently on roofs that are not directly aligned to the south."

The news comes at the same time that the world’s biggest thin film module manufacturer, First Solar, which also uses CdTe technology, will close its German manufacturing operations. Just today, the U.S. company announced that it will close its manufacturing doors in Frankfurt (Oder) at the end of this year, as opposed to the end of October.