第一太阳能有意扩张其在法兰克福工厂的产量，准备2011年第四季度之前将产量由现在的223兆瓦扩张到446兆瓦，以应对欧洲市场不断增长的需求，就此事公司正在与德国地方政府和联邦政府进行讨论，公司的股票在周一达到104.98美元。
Sees annual production capacity jumping to 446 MW
Expansion likely to be complete by Q4 2011
June 8 (Reuters) - First Solar Inc (FSLR.O) said it plans to double production capacity at its German plant in Frankfurt an der Oder, to cater to strong European demand.
The world's lowest-cost photovoltaic solar manufacturer said it is in advanced talks with German authorities to obtain the regulatory permits and financial framework for the expansion.
The expansion would catapult the plant's annual manufacturing capacity to about 446 megawatts (MW) by the fourth quarter of 2011, from its 223-MW capacity today.
First Solar also expects to benefit from an increased natural income hedge against foreign exchange rate risk by hiking production in Germany to serve its European customers.
The company said the plant, which makes the company's trademark thin-film solar modules, already employs more than 600 associates and is expected to create several hundred jobs.
"The expansion would be the first major foreign direct investment in the German green technology sector this year," First Solar said in a statement.
Last year, the Tempe, Arizona-based company signed a framework agreement with the government of Ordos City in Inner Mongolia to build a 2 gigawatt solar power plant in the sun-drenched region.
Shares of the company closed at $104.98 Monday on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Antonita Madonna Devotta in Bangalore; Editing by Aradhana Aravindan)
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