Yingli begins production of 200 MW expansion

Baoding, China-based Yingli Green Energy Holding (NYSE: YGE) said today it initiated small-scale production of photovoltaic components from its latest 200 megawatt expansion.

According to the company, the expansion, announced in 2007 as part of a three phase 500 MW expansion, began producing late last month.

Yingli said it plans to have the 200 MW expansion gradually come on line with the installation complete by the fourth quarter of this year and running at capacity by year-end.

Once completed, Yingli's total production capacity of polysilicon ingots and wafers, PV cells and PV modules will be 400 MW.

"Given our accumulated experience over the past few years in expanding capacity, we believe that we will complete this project on time in the fourth quarter of this year," Liansheng Miao, chairman and CEO of Yingli, said in a statement.

"The expansion should further increase our visibility and help us meet our shipment guidance for 2008 and beyond."

According to the company, the new production lines include equipment from U.S.-based GT Solar.

Since the start of the year, Yingli has received orders from Korea’s DC Chemical, Japan’s Eiko Trading, China’s Sailing New Energy Resources, Germany’s S.A.G. Solarstrom, En-Neo and IBC Solar AG, just to name a few (see Yingli Green Energy, Eiko in solar module contract and Yingli to get polysilicon from DC Chemical).

The company plans to further expand total capacity to 600 MW by mid-2009.

Yingli Green Energy sells PV modules under its own brand name, Yingli Solar, to PV system integrators and distributors located in various markets around the world, including Germany, Spain, Italy, China and the U.S.

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