Hitachi Cable to invest RM18.4 million in its Malaysia plant

Thursday, Jul 29, 2010

In response to the growing demand for the NoWarp photovoltaic wire 1 used in solar cell module conductors, Hitachi Cable Ltd (Hitachi Cable) will introduce new production equipment at Hitachi Cable (Johor) Sdn Bhd (Hitachi Johor).

In its press statement, the investment figure was stated to be around 500 million yen (RM18.4 million). Full-scale operation of the new equipment is slated to get underway in August this year.

In solar cell modules, photovoltaic wires connect the individual cells that make up a solar cell, serving as a conductor that collects the generated electric power. In light of the mainstream technology affecting the industry now, crystalline silicon solar cells have been made slimmer in recent years for increased production efficiency.

However, in thinner cells, the individual cells are more susceptible to the thermal stress generated when connected to photovoltaic wires, which sometimes result in warp. Photovoltaic wires must be flexible enough to absorb this thermal stress and to resist cell warp.

Hitachi Cable’s efforts to optimis thermal processing conditions had won its NoWarp photovoltaic wire high marks for achieving flexibility while maintaining high electrical conductivity. This wire currently holds an approximate 20 per cent share of the world’s photovoltaic wire market.

Growing interest in energy conservation and efforts to prevent global warming had led to anticipated annual growth rates for solar cell module output capacity averaging 22 per cent.

By 2015, the corresponding market was projected to grow to roughly 3.3 times in its size in 2009. This anticipated demand had energised the production of solar cell modules around the world. This trend had been accompanied by growing demand for photovoltaic wire, creating a need to develop supply structures across a broad regional basis.

By establishing this new production facility in addition to existing facilities in Japan and China, the Hitachi Cable group was seeking to expand net sales of wiring materials for solar cell use; primarily NoWarp products, from approximately four billion yen in fiscal 2009 to nine billion yen in fiscal 2012.

Source: The Borneo Post