The Yingli Solar Company origins from the Tianwei Yingli New Energy Resources Co., Ltd., founded in 1998. Ever since, Yingli Solar kept developing state-of-the art production lines for wafers, cells and modules.

Baoding, 18 May 2006 -- The Yingli Solar Company origins from the Tianwei Yingli New Energy Resources Co., Ltd., founded in 1998. Ever since, Yingli Solar kept developing state-of-the art production lines for wafers, cells and modules. State support and western technology helped Yingli Solar to become one of the hottest PV companies in China at this moment.

From the first phase (May 2004), with 6MW wafers, 10MW cells, 50MW modules to respectively 95/60/100MW in the second, complying with IEC, UL, CE and TüV certificates are impressive figures and facts. Yingli Solar could well be China's and consequently internationally fastest growing PV manufacturer.

No wonder the SolarPlaza Business Tour 2006 included a visit to the Yingli Solar factory in Baoding. Ingot casting to module assembly in one factory is not a something you see every day. When Yingli Solar invited SolarPlaza to attend the Ceremony of the 3rd Phase Project opening ceremony, we did not hesitate to accept the invitation.

What we saw was again impressive. The first stone was laid on April 29th, with over a 1.000 people being witness. Among many officials we listened to speeches of the Municipal Secretary of Baoding, the General Director of the Energy Department of the National Development and Reform Commission and various officials of the Hebei Province.

The third phase will be completed in 2008 and will require an investment of RMB 3 billion. Over 330 thousand square meters of premises are reserved for a state-of-the-art PV production plant. Apart from that, the National New Energy Equipment Industrial Base, the Solar Grade Silicon Crystalline Wafer Research Centre and a Professional Training Centre will be founded.

The production plant will have a capacity of 500MW wafers/cells and modules. An estimated 70% of the facilities should be finished by the end of 2006, boosting 100MW production at that point. By the end of 2008, production will reach 600MW with a turnover of RMB 16 billion and 3,5 billion profit.

The Research Centre will keep Yingli Solar on top of the market, developing new technologies, materials and facilities. Yingli will keep on doing such in close cooperation with international manufactures and research laboratories.

The PV System research centre will be established to overcome the lack of experience with large (grid connected) systems, whereas the training centre will stand for long-term relationships with universities, research centers and will provide well-trained and high level PV technicians.

Yingli Solar will go public within a year. This is a definitely a company to follow closely!

Contact: Edwin Koot (President), +31 10 2809198 or e.koot@solarplaza.com
Martin Meijers, Marketing & Sales Vice-president, m.meijers@solarplaza.com