Another EverQ home page.
A joint venture between Evergreen Solar, Q–Cells, and Renewable Energy Corporation with a state–of–the–art 30–megawatt manufacturing plant at Thalheim, Germany that will produce solar wafers, cells, and modules based on proprietary crystalline silicon String Ribbon technology.
The plan for EverQ’s production capacity:
30MW in 2006, and approximately 300MW in the second half of 2009 or early 2010.
[What is your guess for the production capacity in 2025? In 2050?
(Tip: Study the peak oil section.)]
Ownership: (Details: Jan 14, 2005)
Ownership: (Details: November 25, 2005 — Note the intention to become equal parnters.)
Ownership: (Details: November 25, 2005, June 5, 2006, July 25, 2006, October 2, 2006, December 21, 2006)
Ownership:
Adjust the percentages and owners as needed to reflect other transaction(s).
German Regulatory Authorities Approve EverQ Partnership Agreements December 21, 2006.
“MARLBORO, Mass.; THALHEIM, SAXONY-ANHALT, Germany & HOVIK, Norway--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 21, 2006--Evergreen Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: ESLR), Q-Cells AG (FSE: QCE) and Renewable Energy Corporation ASA (OSEAX: REC.OL) (REC) today announced that regulatory authorities in Germany have approved previously announced partnership agreements that make the companies equal partners in EverQ, which manufactures solar modules in Thalheim, Germany. Effective December 19, 2006, all three partners will share equally in the net income generated by EverQ.
The EverQ partnership and related polysilicon supply agreements are intended to facilitate the next phase of expansion of EverQ’s production facilities in Thalheim. The partnership intends to grow the EverQ business to approximately 10 times the size of its first facility, generating 300MW of solar production by 2010. In the third quarter of 2006, EverQ’s first factory ramped to full production capacity of 30MW. EverQ’s second factory - EverQ-2 - is on track to begin production in the second quarter of 2007, and is expected to reach its full capacity of 60MW by the end of 2007 bringing EverQ’s total capacity to approximately 90MW.”
EverQ-1
View pictures of the
EverQ-1 factory
during it’s construction.
Target annual production capacity is 30MW by end of 2006.
EverQ-1 ramped to full annual production capacity in the third quarter of 2006 (one quarter ahead of schedule).
Here’s a
booklet
with pictures of the operations (words in German).
“The EverQ-1 factory completed its implementation of thin wafer production, ending the quarter [4th quarter 2006] with silicon consumption of approximately 5.0 grams per watt.”
EverQ-2
View pictures of the
EverQ-2 production facility and office building
being built.
[Keep an eye on EverQ-1 in the background of the EverQ Office Building photographs: Has a solar power system been installed on the roof of EverQ-1?]
Target annual production capacity is now 60MW (was 50MW).
On track to begin production in the second quarter of 2007.
Should reach full capacity by the end of 2007.
“remains on schedule and is expected to begin production in the second quarter of 2007 and will reach full capacity by the end of 2007”
EverQ-1 + EverQ-2
Update: In light of improvements, the total target annual production capacity for EverQ-1 plus EverQ-2 is now approximately 100 MW by the end of 2007 (which of course is greater than the 30MW + 60MW[was 50MW]).
EverQ-3
EverQ-3 will likely be designed around the new four-ribbon furnace.
Amending plans to use process expected to yield around 15.5+% efficiency.
[Given the history of proceeding in sure-footed steps, it seems one can pretty much expect EverQ-3 to only use the new four-ribbon furnances if they have proven themselves at the Marlboro facility — which of course would mean that the Marlboro facility has been using them for a while.]
Let’s take a moment to put the EverQ joint venture into prospective.
Evergreen Solar’s Marlboro manufacturing production capacity is about 15MW.
Let’s draw the production capacity — letting each ‘*’ represent 5MW of production capacitity:
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(Note a portion of the production capacity is used for R&D.)
By partnering together via the EverQ joint venture,
Evergreen Solar, Q-Cells, and REC are working to create 300MW of production capacity by around 2010.
Let's draw that 300MW of production capacity:
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As you can see:
By working together, in just a few years each partner’s interest will already be several times the capacity of Evergreen Solar’s Marlboro facility.
[
Evergreen Solar Announces EverQ Signing of Previously Announced Polysilicon Supply Agreement October 2, 2006.
“..., today announced the signing of a previously announced polysilicon supply agreement that will be sufficient to allow its EverQ partnership to increase solar module production capacity from about 30MW this year to approximately 300MW by 2010 and possibly as early as the second half of 2009.”
]
What about future production capacity beyond 2010?
Currently, it’s up to you to do your own speculation about that.
But if you take a look into how much electricity is used around the world, doesn’t it seem rather easy to speculate an additional 10-fold increase:
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Good thing some major customers are interested in helping to deliver solar power to the world. :-)
Below are some older articles about EverQ.
This article covers the German Chancellor Gerhardt Schroeder meeting with Evergreen Solar and Q–Cells.
Evergreen Solar and Q–Cells Form Joint Venture to Develop Solar Manufacturing Plant in Thalheim, Germany Jan 14, 2005
Stately Welcome for New German Solar Facility June 9, 2005
Evergreen Solar Breaks Ground on EverQ Plant in Germany; Project on Schedule for Full–Scale Production by Summer of 2006; Company Also Secures Silicon Supply Contracts for 18 Months July 13, 2005
Evergreen Solar Partnership Completes New Solar PV Manufacturing Facility June 21, 2006.
Thalheim, Germany [RenewableEnergyAccess.com] EverQ GmbH, a joint venture of three major players in the solar power industry, marked the official opening [actual opening occured previously] of its first production facility in Thalheim, Germany. The ribbon-cutting celebration included the joint venture partners, German and U.S. government officials, solar industry leaders and EverQ employees.
Evergreen Solar Begins Volume Shipments From New Plant in Germany Apr 25, 2006.
“..., today announced that the new EverQ manufacturing plant in Thalheim, Germany, has begun making volume shipments of finished solar modules to the Company’s customers.
The Thalheim plant manufactures Evergreen Solar’s new, more powerful Spruce Line(TM) of photovoltaic panels. The Spruce line includes panels up to 190W.”
Evergreen Solar Celebrates Construction Milestone at Second EverQ Plant in Germany October 2, 2006.
New 60-Megawatt Facility Will Triple EverQ’s Production
“THALHEIM, Germany, Oct 02, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Evergreen Solar, Inc., a manufacturer of solar power products, today celebrated the laying of the cornerstone at a second solar production plant in Germany. The new 60-megawatt (MW) facility, constructed by Evergreen’s EverQ partnership, is double the capacity of the first facility opened earlier this year by EverQ in Thalheim, Sachsen-Anhalt.”