Solarfun Power Holdings Co., Ltd., a vertically integrated manufacturer of silicon ingots, wafers and photovoltaic ("PV") cells and modules in China, announced several new business developments in Italy, including two significant contracts and the opening of a new office in Milan.
Italyis advancing as a strong PV market in Europe, with the country's installed capacity forecast to be over 1,500 MW in 2010. In August 2010, Solarfun entered into an agreement with 9REN Group, a European renewable energy company, to deliver 20.4 MW of PV modules for a new solar park in Italy. The park is expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2011. In addition, the Company also signed a contract with Gestamp Asetym Solar, a Spain-based solar solutions company, for approximately 11 MW of PV modules. The modules will be used for solar parks in both Spain and Italy, all of which are scheduled to be operational in mid 2011.
In light of Solarfun's expanding activities in Italy, the Company has opened an office in Milan. The new office is expected to increase regional access to Solarfun's high-quality PV products and provide technical and marketing support for utility, commercial, and residential customers.
Mr. Claudio Giorla will head Solarfun's Italian operations as the Company's country manager of Business Development and Operations. Prior to joining Solarfun, Mr. Giorla worked as a key account manager and business development manager for the EPC contractor, Guascor Solar Italia. Previously he served as the general plant manager at Tecnograf, Mondadori Group, a leading European publishing company.
"I am pleased to announce the addition of Mr. Giorla to our team," said Andreas Liebheit, VP and Managing Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa for Solarfun. "His addition to our Business Development and Operations team is an important part of implementing our growth strategy in Europe. Mr. Giorla's market knowledge and relationships in Italy will help support our growing customer base in this important region."
Dr. Peter Xie, President and Chief Executive Officer of Solarfun, commented, "Solarfun's expansion and investment in Italy is a significant milestone in our strategy, as the Italian market is of high priority for us in Europe. We expect our installation base in Italy to grow to over 50 MW in 2010, driven largely by our established relationships with leading regional developers such as Tozzi, Scatec, Gransolar, Rusol, Meridian, the Loh-Group and 9REN."