AU Optronics' (AUO) subsidiary AUO Crystal Corporation (ACC) on April 11 held a groundbreaking ceremony for the first-phase development of its factory of solar-grade monocrystalline silicon ingots and wafers in the Houli site of the Central Taiwan Science Park, with equipment to be installed in November 2011 and production to kick off in the first quarter of 2012, according to AUO press release.

This will be ACC's third factory in Taiwan, with the other two located in two other sites of the science park, AUO noted. The first factory of slicing solar-grade polycrystalline silicon ingots into wafers will begin production in the second quarter and the second one of growing such ingots from polycrystalline silicon produced by Japan-based M.Setek, AUO's subsidiary, will do so in the fourth quarter of 2011, AUO pointed out.

The third factory occupies a land site of two hectares (4.94 acres) and will have an initial annual production capacity equivalent to 250MWp, AUO indicated. There is vacant land of 6.5 hectares reserved for expansion of the factory to a total annual capacity of 1GWp, and the factory expects to employ 1,200 persons in three years, AUO added.

ACC has a factory engaged in advanced slicing of ingots into wafers in Malaysia, the only overseas one with operation beginning at the end of 2010, AUO indicated.

ACC holds a groundbreaking ceremony attended by AUO chairman K.Y. Lee (first from right) and ACC chairman Max Cheng (center).
Photo: AUO