By Kari Williamson

The facility will be able to test and optimise solar PV cells manufactured by companies such as Bosch or Q-Cells in quantities of up to 20,000 per hour in a production area measuring 7000 m2.

The first expansion phase has seen an investment of €20 million, and has created 50 new jobs. A further 80 jobs and apprenticeships are expected to be created in the next expansion phase.

Innotech Solar's process includes analysing solar PV cells from different manufacturers and isolating impurities using lasers, which returns cells to their full capacity.

The solar PV cells are then used in Innotech Solar modules.

“After a construction period that lasted around 8 months we are now taking an important step toward expanding our production capacity in Germany. Alongside our plants in Norway and Sweden, the factory in Halle is the third constructed by Innotech Solar. This demonstrates our support for European production,” says Dr Uwe Schönebaum, General Manager of ITS Halle Cell GmbH, the subsidiary of Innotech that is operating the site.

Innotech Solar is also expanding business in Asia. At the beginning of 2011, the company opened a logistics centre in Hong Kong to add to its existing sales and purchasing office in Shanghai.