Tagliato a metà dall’equatore, il continente africano è il naturale candidato principale all’uso dell’energia solare nelle due forme, termica e fotovoltaica. Per la diffusione di queste tecnologie stanno nascendo nuovi impianti industriali. Del 22 gennaio è la notizia, che riportiamo di seguito, di una nuova joint venture realizzata da JA Solar Holdings Co. e Powerway PV SA Pty., Ltd per realizzare un nuovo impianto per la produzione di pannelli solari a Port Elizabeth, in Sudafrica. L’impianto produrrà pannelli a celle fotovoltaiche a partire dalla metà del 2014.
Le due compagnie che danno vita alla joint venture hanno la propria base in Cina, a Shanghai: è un’ulteriore dimostrazione di come l’ex “Celeste impero” sia la principale forza motrice dello sviluppo del continente africano, nel quale si attende il prossimo “boom” economico, dopo quelli cui abbiamo assistito, nel corso della fine del XX secolo, prima nelle “tigri” asiatiche, quindi in Cina e in Brasile. Risulta superfluo evidenziare come la produzione di energia a basso costo sia un elemento fondante per il progresso economico: discorso questo che in Italia, dall’epoca del referendum antinucleare del 1987, è stato sempre purtroppo trascurato dall’opinione pubblica e quindi dalla politica, che di “opinione pubblica” vive…
(LS)
JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. and Powerway PV SA Pty., Ltd. formed a JV to establish a solar module manufacturing facility in South Africa. The facility, located in Port Elizabeth’s COEGA Industrial Development Zone, will service customers in South Africa and the broader southern African region with solar modules assembled from JA Solar’s high-efficiency cells.
Production is scheduled to begin in Q2 2014, with the plant targeted to reach an initial annualized capacity of 150 MW. At a BBBEE level 3 status, the facility is expected to provide over 200 employment opportunities to the local community within the first year of production. The companies will have the option to expand the production capacity of the facility up to 600 MW.
Mr. Baofang Jin, executive chairman and CEO of JA Solar, commented, “This facility will play a crucial role as we seek to benefit from the significant growth potential across the Southern African region. Improved cost-effectiveness is making solar an increasingly attractive energy alternative in South Africa. Having a presence on the ground will give us the local knowledge and qualification needed to identify and pursuit the best commercial opportunities while providing better services to our customers.”
“We’re delighted to be working with Powerway South Africa, which has built up a powerful brand and an extensive sales network in South Africa through a long-established track record.”
“We’re seeing increasing demand for quality solar modules in the South African market and the central position of this facility means it is ideally located for exports from the COEGA Port and will serve project sites in Northern Cape, Western Cape,Gauteng and the greater Southern Africa region,” said Mr. Charles Domingo, Managing Director of Powerway South Africa. “We already have a long and fruitful relationship with JA Solar and are delighted to be extending that into a new and exciting market.”
About JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd.
JA Solar Holdings Co., Ltd. is a leading manufacturer of high-performance solar power products that convert sunlight into electricity for residential, commercial, and utility-scale power generation. The Company is one of the world’s largest producers of solar power products. Its standard and high-efficiency product offerings are among the most powerful and cost-effective in the industry. The Company distributes products under its own brand and also produces on behalf of its clients. The Company shipped 1.7 GW of solar power products in 2012. JA Solar is headquartered in Shanghai, China, and maintains production facilities in Shanghai, as well as Hebei, Jiangsu and Anhui provinces.
About Powerway PV SA Pty., Ltd.
Powerway PV SA Pty., Ltd. is a South Africa registered company, with BBBEE level 2 credential, being head quartered in Hong Kong, it is Solar Farm Engineering and Construction Company, with subsidiary companies in China, Japan, South Africa, Pakistan and UAE, and production bases in Guangdong China, as well as Port Elisabeth of South Africa. As a professional solar farm builder with a certificate of electrical power contracting level 3, Powerway always endeavors to provide innovative design and products and deliver world class operation. To date, Powerway has provided more than 1.2 GW of solar power products and construction services in over 22 countries and regions.
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