New project to produce enough clean electricity to power a
quarter of Oxford City’s households
First Solar, Inc. (Nasdaq: FSLR) and BELECTRIC today announced
that they have broken ground on a new 46 megawatt (MWDC)
utility-scale power plant, in Oxfordshire, Southern England. When
completed, the facility will produce 45 million kilowatt-hours
(kWh) of clean solar electricity per year, sufficient to power
approximately 14,000 average homes or approximately 25% of the
estimated 55,400 households in the city of Oxford.
The project is the fourth to be executed in the United Kingdom
(UK) under a First Solar and BELECTRIC joint venture, announced in
2013. With its recently built solar farms in Wiltshire and East
Anglia, the JV is expecting to reach a total capacity of 80 MWDC in
the UK. Together, the farms generate almost 80 million kWh of clean
energy per year, while displacing an estimated 35,000 tons of
greenhouse gases each year.
“This latest project is a clear indication of the fact that
dramatic efficiency gains and increased cost competitiveness,
particularly those driven by First Solar, have created an
undeniable tipping point for solar power, not only in the UK but
around the world. There is no doubt that, thanks to the UK’s
renewable energy roadmap, solar PV will help reinforce the
country’s efforts to address its need for sustained energy
independence,” said Christopher Burghardt, Vice President for
Europe at First Solar.
More than 483,000 of First Solar’s advanced thin film modules
will be used to power the facility, while BELECTRIC is responsible
for the construction and the Balance-of-Systems (BoS) requirements.
By displacing 20,000 tons of greenhouse gases each year, the plant
will help to maximize the share of climate-friendly power
generation in the UK. The project will be in compliance with
stringent sustainability standards designed to minimize its impact
in the local environment, and to support biodiversity initiatives.
Furthermore the land under the solar farm will continue to remain
in food production, with sheep grazing the site as was the case
before the project was constructed.
"By combining First Solar’s best-in-class thin film modules and
components with our industry-leading BoS and construction
techniques, we are effectively helping to realize the vast
potential of fast developing solar markets, such as the UK,” said
Martin Zembsch, Chief Sales Officer, BELECTRIC. "This project, and
the others before it, demonstrates that we can remain competitive
in a wide range of regulatory environments thanks to our singular
focus on quality, reliability and competitiveness.”
“When we connect this project in the coming months, it will be
the UK’s largest and most technologically advanced solar energy
plant, incorporating the latest innovations delivered by both
BELECTRIC and First Solar,” said Toddington Harper, CEO of
BELECTRIC UK. “To put it in context, this single project will
produce enough secure, home-grown, solar energy to drive an
electric vehicle over 200 million kilometers per year, or the
equivalent of approximately 260 round trips to the moon. Combined
with the fact that the land under the solar arrays will remain in
agricultural use, with areas set aside to support biodiversity,
this is a prime example of the multiple benefits that best-in-class
solar farm projects can deliver to the UK.”
First Solar and BELECTRIC share a longstanding relationship that
spans over a decade. In 2013, they realized Europe’s largest thin
film PV power plant in Templin, Germany. Bringing together
industry-leading capabilities and technologies, the two groups
established a joint venture to realize selected utility-scale PV
projects in Europe, North Africa and the United States.
Editors’ Notes:
- Estimates from the number of households
in Oxford City have been sourced from the Oxford City Council.
- Estimates for electric vehicle range
have been sourced from Cambridge University Electricity Policy
Research Group.
About First Solar, Inc.
First Solar is a leading global provider of comprehensive
photovoltaic (PV) solar systems which use its advanced module and
system technology. The company's integrated power plant solutions
deliver an economically attractive alternative to fossil-fuel
electricity generation today. From raw material sourcing through
end-of-life module recycling, First Solar's renewable energy
systems protect and enhance the environment. For more information
about First Solar, please visit www.firstsolar.com.
About BELECTRIC®
BELECTRIC is one of the most successful international
enterprises in the development and construction of ground-mounted
solar power plants and roof-mounted photovoltaic systems. As an
international company, BELECTRIC is represented in over 20
countries. Its position as technology leader is a result of the
high degree of vertical integration in the development and
manufacturing processes. The combination of economic and ecological
interests has always been the basis for the sustainable success of
our employees. BELECTRIC demonstrates its great innovative spirit
with over 100 active patents. Alongside solar power generation,
BELECTRIC Drive® works to develop the interface between
photovoltaics and e-mobility. Further information can be found at
www.belectric.com, and www.belectric.co.uk.
For First Solar Investors:
This release contains forward-looking statements which are made
pursuant to safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements
include statements, among other things, concerning: our business
strategy, including anticipated trends and developments in and
management plans for our business and the markets in which we
operate; future financial results, operating results, revenues,
gross margin, operating expenses, products, projected costs,
warranties, solar module efficiency and balance of systems ("BoS")
cost reduction roadmaps, restructuring, product reliability and
capital expenditures; our ability to continue to reduce the cost
per watt of our solar modules; our ability to reduce the costs to
construct photovoltaic ("PV") solar power systems; research and
development programs and our ability to improve the conversion
efficiency of our solar modules; sales and marketing initiatives;
and competition. These forward-looking statements are often
characterized by the use of words such as "estimate," "expect,"
"anticipate," "project," "plan," "intend," "believe," "forecast,"
"foresee," "likely," "may," "should," "goal," "target," "might,"
"will," "could," "predict," "continue" and the negative or plural
of these words and other comparable terminology. Forward-looking
statements are only predictions based on our current expectations
and our projections about future events. You should not place undue
reliance on these forward-looking statements. We undertake no
obligation to update any of these forward-looking statements for
any reason. These forward-looking statements involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our
actual results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements to
differ materially from those expressed or implied by these
statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, the
matters discussed in Item 1A: "Risk Factors," of our Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013, Quarterly
Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other reports
filed with the SEC.
MediaDoreen RietentietDWR
eco GmbHdr@dwr-eco.comTel: +49-176 21144095orReuven ProençaFirst
Solar EMEA Communications+971 (0)4 455
9410reuven.proenca@firstsolar.comorFlorian DittertBELECTRIC GmbH+49
(0)9385 9804 5706florian.dittert@belectric.comorAlison
HarperBELECTRIC UK+44 (0) 1895 452
640alison.harper@belectric.co.ukorInvestors:David Brady+1
602-414-9315dbrady@firstsolar.comorStephen Haymore+1
602-414-9315stephen.haymore@firstsolar.com
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