Oerlikon Group has signed an agreement with Japan-based Tokyo Electron, a global semiconductor production equipment supplier, to divest its solar business based in Trübbach, Switzerland.
The divestment will enable Oerlikon to focus more on its portfolio and develop high performing businesses to continue profitable growth. The sale also helps the company to secure its customer base and to maintain high service levels.
Oerlikon Solar has undergone considerable enhancements in terms of operation and cost over the past two years. The CEO of Oerlikon Group, Dr Michael Buscher, noted that Tokyo Electron is an ideal purchaser for Oerlikon Solar, as its main operations are located close to the larger Asian customer base. In addition, the Japanese firm has more knowledge about Oerlikon’s solar business.
Hiroshi Takenaka, Tokyo Electron’s President and CEO, stated that the company will integrate Oerlikon Solar's expertise and semiconductor production equipment technologies from Tokyo Electron to further enhance performance. The development of operations in the solar energy generation business is a part of the company’s growth strategies. The company is confident that through the purchase, it can contribute to reduction in the global environmental issues.
Oerlikon Solar provides turnkey manufacturing lines and advanced equipment to mass produce thin film silicon solar modules. The second generation of ThinFab production line resets the standard for producing solar modules at a high quality and low cost. Oerlikon Solar has a contracted capacity of 870 MWp and 15 customers in seven countries. Its field proven equipment has manufactured over 5 million solar modules.
Source: http://www.oerlikon.com/