TURNOW-PREILACK, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 20, 2009--
The Lieberose solar farm under construction in Brandenburg on Thursday
became the world’s second biggest solar power plant and Germany’s
biggest, Wörrstädt, Germany-based juwi Group and First Solar Inc.
(Nasdaq: FSLR) announced.
The announcement followed the placement of the 560,000th
solar panel in the project by German Infrastructure Minister Wolfgang
Tiefensee and Brandenburg Minister President Matthias Platzeck.
The solar farm still under construction in Turnow-Preilack, near
Cottbus, is in several ways a landmark project for the solar industry.
Despite the current economic and financial crisis, the two companies are
building a utility-scale project with a total investment volume of more
than €160 million. With an output of about 53 megawatts and with a size
of more than 210 football fields, it is the second-largest PV
installation in the world.
“The Lieberose project demonstrates the success of Germany’s strategy of
combining local production of renewable energies with other strengths,
including the knowledge and expertise that resides in local companies,
networks, research organizations and universities. It’s the combination
that makes German competitiveness,” German Infrastructure Minister
Wolfgang Tiefensee told 300 invited guests at the official inauguration.
“Lieberose is a model not just in terms of power and financing, but also
in the conversion of military and other unused land,” said Platzeck.
“Land that was contaminated and off limits for years is being cleared of
munitions and other pollution without any financial burden on the owner
of the land, the state. The Lieberose solar park is an important step
toward making solar electricity a significant force in the local
economy,” he added.
The project is being developed on the largest former military training
site of the Soviet army in Germany. Due to the relatively low investment
and operating costs, it is possible to pay Brandenburg an attractive
lease that finances the restoration of the site, including the removal
of metal and soil contaminated by leftover grenades, shrapnel and
munitions. After the end of the lease period, the solar farm can be
removed, restoring the land to its natural state.
“We aim to enable a global power supply with clean and cost-efficient
solar energy. The Lieberose project alone will help save about 35,000
tons of CO2 per year,” say First Solar Managing Director Stephan Hansen
and juwi Head Matthias Willenbacher. “We are especially proud of this
project, because it is also ‘clean’ in another sense of that word. It is
not only generating clean energy, but also ensures the removal of
dangerous munitions.”
As general contractor, juwi partner juwi Solar GmbH is responsible for
planning, logistics, supervising construction and delivering the
finished solar farm, which is expected to be sold to an investor upon
completion. “Solar farms such as Lieberose are very important for the
future of all of the renewable energies,” said Willenbacher and Hansen.
“By their size and the efficiency with which the solar panels are
produced, they contribute to significantly lower prices and to
accelerating the advent of competitive solar electricity. This clearly
increases the acceptance of solar energy,” they said.
Lieberose is scheduled to be fully operational by the end of this year.
Upon completion, about 700,000 thin film modules, predominantly from
First Solar’s nearby Frankfurt/Oder factory, will produce enough
climate-friendly electricity to cover the equivalent electricity needs
of about 15,000 households. In addition to producing the solar panels,
First Solar helped finance the project.
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The solar power station at a glance:
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Capacity: approx. 53,000 kilowatts
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Area: 162 hectares (over 210 football fields)
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Module surface area: approx. 500,000 m² approx. 700,000 thin
filmmodules (First Solar)
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Annual yield: around 53 million kWh (corresponding to the annual
consumption of around 15,000 households)
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CO2 saving: approx. 35,000 tonnes per year
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Photos of this project are available here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/solarparklieberose/3832749295/
About the juwi group:
The juwi group (www.juwi.de)
was founded in 1996 by Matthias Willenbacher and Fred Jung. The CEOs
together transformed the company from a two-person operation focusing on
wind farm project development into an internationally active group with
around 500 employees and an annual turnover of more than 400 million
euros. As well as solar power and bioenergy, juwi also specializes in
wind and water power, and geothermal energy. To date, juwi has installed
more than 300 wind turbines producing a total output of over 450 MW,
while in the solar sector, juwi has set up around 800 PV systems with a
total capacity of more than 220,000 KW as of December 2008. Willenbacher
and Jung also share a common goal: energy supply from purely
regenerative sources - 100% dedication to 100% renewable energies. The
"100% renewable" campaign embodies this goal.
About First Solar:
First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) manufactures solar modules with an
advanced semiconductor technology and provides comprehensive PV
solutions that significantly reduce solar electricity costs. By enabling
clean, renewable electricity at competitive prices, First Solar provides
an economic and environmentally responsible alternative to existing
peaking fossil-fuel electric generation. First Solar PV power plants
operate with no water, air emissions or waste stream. First Solar set
the benchmark for environmentally responsible product life cycle
management by introducing the industry's first comprehensive collection
and recycling program for solar modules. From raw material sourcing
through end-of-life collection and recycling, First Solar is focused on
creating cost-effective renewable energy solutions that protect and
enhance the environment. For more information about First Solar, please
visit www.firstsolar.com.
For First Solar Investors:
This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant
to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this release do not
constitute guarantees of future performance. Those statements involve a
number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially,
including risks associated with the company's business involving the
company's products, their development and distribution, economic and
competitive factors, and the company's key strategic relationships and
other risks detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and
Exchange Commission. First Solar assumes no obligation to update any
forward-looking information contained in this press release or with
respect to the announcements described herein.
Source: First Solar, Inc. and juwi Group
juwi Holding AG
Ralf Heidenreich
06732-96571207
(0173-6598211)
heidenreich@juwi.de
www.juwi.de
or
First
Solar
Brandon Mitchener
+49-6131-1443-399
media@firstsolar.com
www.firstsolar.com