Solutia 公司日前透露将继续扩大其包括苏州EVA封装材料设备在内的中国工厂运行规模。
公司透露，新的投资将包括建设一个新的可供新EVA生产线运行服务的厂房，并为未来可以继续增加产能空间的基础设施进行建设。该新生产线将可以生产宽度为2.35M的EVA产品，而第一条生产线预期明年7月份完工。
“Solutia 公司作为全球新能源市场的领军角色满足着全球新能源市场的需求”Solutia公司总裁杰弗瑞.F.袪因介绍到，“Solutia公司的EVA及Saflex PVB产品一体化生产方式使得我们公司在亚太地区乃至全球都是唯一的一个。
根据Solarbuzz的2010年工业报告介绍，中国队EVA封装膜的需求到2015年将比2009年翻三倍，而亚太地区的市场需求增长在该段时间内也几乎是同样的速率。”由于主要的光伏组件生产目前主要集中在中国，扩增的苏州EVA生产线将能够性价比更高的为中国厂商提供服务。“Solutia集团新科技内层分部门总经理提姆.威瑟评价道。
The company says this investment will include the construction of a new building capable of housing several new EVA production lines and will provide the infrastructure for additional future capacity. The lines will be capable of manufacturing 2.35m wide sheets with the first production line scheduled to be completed by next June.
"Solutia is well-positioned to play a leading role in meeting the needs of the global renewable energy market," said Jeffry N. Quinn, chairman, president and CEO of Solutia Inc. "Combining EVA with our Saflex PVB encapsulant manufacturing capabilities in China positions Solutia as the only one-stop source for solar encapsulant solutions in the greater Asia Pacific region and around the globe."
According to the Solarbuzz industry report, Marketbuzz 2010, Chinese demand for EVA encapsulants is projected to almost triple by 2015 from its 2009 levels, with the greater Asia Pacific region expected to grow at a similar rate over the same period. "Since the majority of photovoltaic (PV) module production capacity is currently located in China, the addition of EVA lines in Suzhou will allow Solutia to cost-effectively serve local demand," said Tim Wessel, president of Solutia's Advanced Interlayers division.
"Combined with Solutia's world-class technical service and strong commercial team in Asia, this expansion allows us to provide total encapsulant solutions to solar module manufacturers in the region."
The Suzhou plant currently serves as a manufacturing site for the company's Saflex polyvinyl butyral (PVB) interlayers for laminated glass. In June, it announced the completion of its acquisition of Etimex Solar's Vistasolar EVA product line, thus "uniquely positioning Solutia as the sole global provider of both major encapsulants to the fast-growing PV industry".
In April, Solutia announced the addition of a second PVB manufacturing line within the existing footprint of the Suzhou plant, featuring enhanced capabilities to serve the architectural, photovoltaic and automotive markets in China and the broader Asia Pacific region.
Solutia's Vistasolar encapsulants are currently manufactured in Dietenheim, Germany.