Manz

A few days after announcing a record turnover and positive EBIT, the German PV equipment provider has now dismissed its CFO, Gunnar Voss von Dahlen, effective immediately. The company said his departure was due to divergent opinions about its strategic direction.

Thanks to a one-off effect in the solar segment, the company was able to achieve a record turnover of €325 million in 2017.

The EU Battery Alliance is calling on industry to take advantage of the expected 2025 €250 billion battery market by establishing between 10 and 20 European giga battery factories. Saft, meanwhile, has announced an alliance with Siemens, Manz and Solvay to work on advanced lithium ion and solid-state battery technology.

TÜV Rheinland has confirmed the efficiency record, achieved by the German subsidiary of Chinese thin film manufacturer, Hanergy Thin Film Power Group Limited.

Ground has broken on Manz’s CIGS turnkey line, CIGSfab, in China on time. Construction is scheduled for completion by the end of Q3 2018, while production is scheduled to begin by mid 2019.

The PV equipment manufacturer further improved its sales in the third quarter. The company said its CIGS orders are fully on schedule and will be included in the results of the fourth quarter.

Turnover for the first half of this year was slightly down from the previous year. Large order intakes from China, however, will lead to a substantial improvement of the company’s result for full fiscal year.

FHR Anlagenbau will supply the sputter production tooling for Manz’s Chinese CIGSline factories. The production equipment, which is likely for the landmark deal between Manz, Shanghai Electric, and major Chinese generator Shenhua, which was signed in January, will be delivered in 2018.

After several years of little activity, thin-film production is currently enjoying a resurgence. Several big equipment deals have been made in recent months, one of the most significant of these is the partnership between German suppliers Manz and Shenhua & Shanghai Electric.

The German equipment provider reports an operating profit of €20 million for the first quarter of this year.