EANS-News: centrotherm photovoltaics presents next generation of high-performance reactors and converters for silicon production

• Higher output and energy-savings enable lower production costs

• More than 25 units of reactors and converters already sold

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Company Information

Subtitle: • Higher output and energy-savings enable lower
production costs • More than 25 units of reactors and converters
already sold

Blaubeuren (euro adhoc) - September 6, 2010 - centrotherm
photovoltaics AG is presenting the next generation of silicon
production equipment with its new 24 Pair CVD (Chemical Vapor
Deposition) reactor and associated high-pressure converter.

The 24 Pair technology is a proprietary development by centrotherm
SiTec GmbH, a company in which centrotherm photovoltaics bundles its
silicon expertise. This technology is distinguished by significantly
higher annual output of more than 350 tonnes, and lower energy
consumption of less than 60 kWh per kilogram. Maintenance costs and
downtime risks are also reduced thanks to the high degree of
production automation. This allows both specific investment costs and
operating costs to be sustainably cut.

More than 25 units consisting of reactors and converters have already
been sold from this new equipment generation. The first systems will
be shipped in April of next year. Confidentiality was agreed about
the investment sums concerned.

"With the 24 Pair technology, we are enabling our customers to
achieve high- volume silicon production at constant quality
accompanied by reduced manufacturing costs", explains Dr. Albrecht
Mozer, Managing Director of centrotherm SiTec. "We are convinced of
our technology's performance, which is why we are also guaranteeing
that our reactors offer a production capacity of 350 tonnes per year,
and that our high-pressure converters offer a gas throughput rate of
18 tonnes per hour, and a conversion rate of more than 19 percent."

The CVD reactors form part of key silicon production equipment, and
consequently rank as part of the core product offerings of the
centrotherm photovoltaics Group's silicon specialist. Along with the
CVD reactor, full silicon production also requires a high-performing
converter, however. STC-TCS converters transform silicon
tetrachloride (STC) into trichlorosilane (TCS), thereby enabling the
process gases to be fed back into the CVD reactor. This closed
production cycle reduces manufacturing costs and environmental
effects - and enables more efficient production. In order to
optimally exploit the new high-performance reactor's potential,
centrotherm SiTec has also further developed the related
high-pressure STC-TCS converter: With the currently highest gas
throughput rate in the market, and the highest conversion rate, it is
optimally coordinated to the capacity enhancement offered by the 24
Pair CVD reactor.

centrotherm photovoltaics at the 25th European Photovoltaic Solar
Energy Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC: September 6-9, 2010, in
Valencia): Feria Valencia, Hall 4, Booth D 13

About centrotherm photovoltaics AG centrotherm photovoltaics AG,
which is based at Blaubeuren, is one of the world's leading
technology and equipment providers for the photovoltaics sector. The
company equips well-known solar companies and new sector entrants
with turnkey production lines and single equipment to manufacture
silicon, crystalline solar cells and thin film modules. As a
consequence, the Group possesses a broad and well-founded
technological basis, as well as key equipment at practically all
steps of the photovoltaics value chain. centrotherm photovoltaics
guarantees its customers important performance parameters such as
production capacity, efficiencies, and completion deadlines. The
Group employs over 1,300 staff members, and operates in Europe, Asia
and the USA. In the 2009 financial year, centrotherm photovoltaics
achieved revenue of EUR 509.1 million, and EBIT of EUR 37.2 million.
The company is listed in the TecDax of the Frankfurt Securities
Exchange.

Contact:
Saskia Feil
Senior Manager Investor & Public Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8890
E-mail: saskia.feil@centrotherm.de

Dr. Torsten Knödler
Manager Public Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8898
E-mail: torsten.knoedler@centrotherm.de

Christina Siebels, Britta Cirkel
HOSCHKE & CONSORTEN Public Relations GmbH
Tel: +49 40 3690 50-58 /-56,
E-mail: c.siebels@hoschke.de; b.cirkel@hoschke.de

end of announcement euro adhoc
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ots Originaltext: centrotherm photovoltaics AG
Im Internet recherchierbar: http://www.presseportal.de

Further inquiry note:

Dr. Torsten Knödler

Manager Public Relations

Tel.: 07344 - 918-8898

E-Mail: torsten.knoedler@centrotherm.de

Branche: Energy
ISIN: DE000A0JMMN2
WKN: A0JMMN
Index: TecDAX
Börsen: Frankfurt / regulated dealing/prime standard
Berlin / free trade
Hamburg / free trade
Stuttgart / free trade
Düsseldorf / free trade
München / free trade