EANS-News: centrotherm photovoltaics wins tender for multi-crystalline ingot furnaces in China

• Customer expands photovoltaic value chain with centrotherm
SiTec technology and equipment
• Around EUR 50 million of sales
potential in the crystallization and wafer area will be expected by
2011

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Company Information

Subtitle: • Customer expands photovoltaic value chain with
centrotherm SiTec technology and equipment • Around EUR 50
million of sales potential in the crystallization and wafer area will
be expected by 2011

Blaubeuren (euro adhoc) - September 20, 2010 - centrotherm SiTec
GmbH, a one hundred percent subsidiary of centrotherm photovoltaics
AG, has prevailed over renowned competitors to win a tender to supply
several multi-crystalline ingot furnaces to a prominent Chinese
company. The furnaces will be shipped in the first quarter of 2011.
The first silicon ingots will be produced just six weeks later. The
investment volume is in the single-digit euro million range. "This
success confirms our strategy of focusing on efficient processes
along the entire photovoltaic value chain," commented Dr. Albrecht
Mozer, Managing Director of centrotherm SiTec. "It allows our
existing customer to access a further step in the solar value chain,
and integrates crystallization with a polysilicon project that
centrotherm SiTec has already successfully realized." The client has
also ordered further polysilicon production systems in order to
expand its existing capacities.

Along with reactors and converters, multi-crystalline ingot furnaces
comprise key silicon production equipment. In the multi-crystalline
ingot furnace, polysilicon particles are initially smelted in a
quartz crucible at over 1,450° Celsius. The silicon melt is
subsequently converted into multi-crystalline ingots by a process of
directional solidification. Bars and wafers are then cut from these
crystallized silicon blocks, before being processed to produce solar
cells and modules.

The integration of polysilicon production and crystallization at one
location allows significant manufacturing cost savings of around
10 percent to be realized. centrotherm SiTec identifies around EUR 50
million of revenue potential in the crystallization and wafer area by
2011 for the centrotherm photovoltaics Group.

About centrotherm photovoltaics AG centrotherm photovoltaics AG,
which is based at Blaubeuren, is the world's leading technology and
equipment provider 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