US$160 million PV factory in Thailand to be built

160m PChinese photovoltaics (PV) maker Trina Solar Ltd (NYSE:TSL) has established a subsidiary in Thailand to build a facility for the production of 500 MW of modules and 700 MW of cells there, the company said on Wednesday.

Trina estimates the total cost of the Thai factory at about USD 160 million (EUR 142.6m).

The new unit is called Trina Solar Science & Technology (Thailand) Ltd and will construct the equipment production facility in the city of Rayong. The start of production at the plant is expected in late 2015 or early 2016.

“Thailand is an ideal location for us to build a new manufacturing base due to its proximity to key emerging markets in the Asia Pacific region as well as its favorable investment environment in terms of land acquisition and labor costs,” said Zhiguo Zhu, COO and president of Trina’s Module Business Unit.

Earlier this month, Trina unveiled it plans to expand its respective PV module and cell production capacity to 4,800 MW and 3,500 MW this year. – SeeNews