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RM5.2b solar glass plant to start ops 2012
By Presenna Nambiar, March 11, 2010
Hong Kong's Sun Bear Solar will invest RM5.2 billion in Malaysia to produce solar glass for the photovoltaic industry
Malaysia's first solar glass manufacturing plant in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, which will cost its promoters RM5.2 billion to build, is expected to be operational in the first quarter of 2012.
Solar glasses are a vital part of solar panels used in the photovoltaic or solar industry. They serve to "collect" sunlight to generate solar energy.
The project by Hong Kong's Sun Bear Solar Sdn Bhd will consist of two phases, which will each take between 18 and 24 months to complete.
The first phase will involve the purchase of fixed assets such as equipment, construction of the plant and the setting up of two lines: the float line and the pattern line solar glasses.
It will cost Sun Solar Bear RM2.2 billion to complete this phase.
The remaining RM3 billion is earmarked for expansion of the plant, which is to house larger lines and eventually accommodate a 120ha site.
"There are no big boys (backing the company). Sun Bear Solar is the initiative of global investors who have been in the solar energy industry for many years," Sun Bear Solar chairman Lee Holt Judd said in response to a question on the investors behind the company.
The new solar glass plant will have the potential to create spin-off benefits to the economy, through the introduction of new and advanced solar technologies and the creation of potential downstream industries such as lighting, green building, home applications and solar heating.
The plant is expected to create about 1,200 job opportunities in the country.
About 90 per cent of its employees will be sourced locally.
According to Malaysian Industrial Development Authority director-general Datuk Jalilah Baba, the solar industry has been targeted as Malaysia's top priority project to generate clean energy and new growth areas in high-value-added manufacturing.
Under the 10th Malaysia Plan, the counry targets generating 215 megawatts peak from solar, which will increase its solar contribution to 1.5 per cent from 0.0013 per cent.
As a high technology-driven industry, solar manufacturing has the potential to contribute up to 4 per cent of the country's gross domestic product this year.
On new foreign direct investment this year, Jalilah said Mida was in talks with potential investors from India, Japan and China.
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