SHANGHAI, June 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Hanwha SolarOne Co.,
Ltd. ("Hanwha SolarOne" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: HSOL), a
vertically integrated manufacturer of silicon ingots, wafers and
photovoltaic ("PV") cells and modules in China, today announced it has entered into a
supply agreement with Photowatt Ontario, Inc. ("PWO"), a wholly
owned subsidiary of ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. ("ATS")
(ATA.TO), where PWO will produce Hanwha SolarOne PV modules to
serve the Ontario marketplace.
The agreement is for PWO to produce and deliver approximately
160 megawatts of modules over four years, using cells supplied by
Hanwha SolarOne, with the potential for the parties to increase the
volumes by up to another 160 megawatts over the four-year period.
The modules, which are intended to serve demand in connection with
the Ontario Feed in Tariff ("FIT") program, will be fully compliant
with FIT and microFIT Program domestic content requirements.
Shipments are currently expected to begin in October, 2011.
The contract is subject to PWO satisfying itself with respect to
certain technical information to be provided by the Company.
Under the agreement, PWO will produce the modules at its PV
module facility in the Green Wing of the ATS campus in Cambridge, Ontario. The "Made in Ontario" production facility, designed and
built by the ATS Automation Systems Group's Cambridge division, serves Ontario's rapidly growing demand for solar
energy products in its residential, commercial and industrial
markets as well as large-scale solar fields.
Dr. Peter Xie, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Hanwha SolarOne, commented, "We are
pleased to expand our brand to the Ontario market by joining forces with two of
Canada's finest local
manufacturing companies, PWO and ATS. Ontario's commitment to
long-term renewable energy investment under the Ontario Green
Energy Act provides us many favorable incentives for future growth.
Likewise, Hanwha SolarOne's high-quality, cost-effective PV
modules are especially suited to the needs of Ontario's domestic developers. The local
expertise of PWO, combined with our established and growing
presence in North America, will
allow us to offer close management of distributors and superior
customer support to the province."
Bruce Ludemann, Vice President
& General Manager of Hanwha SolarOne, North America, reported that the Company will
establish a regional office in Ontario staffed with business development,
technical support and administrative personnel.
Chris Waters, Vice President and
General Manager of PWO, added, "We are very pleased to enable to
assist a proven international photovoltaic company such as Hanwha
SolarOne to establish in Ontario.
ATS's core strengths in manufacturing automation, combined
with PWO's solar manufacturing excellence give us an advantage in
serving the rapidly growing Ontario renewable energy market. For
these reasons, we are the partner of choice for many global PV
companies and domestic developers alike. Working closely with
ATS, PWO has the solar and automation know-how, facilities and
resources to rapidly expand module production capacity as demand
from the Ontario marketplace
continues to grow."
"Our new customer relationship with Hanwha SolarOne is another
positive development for PWO and its employees in Cambridge, as PWO continues to grow as a
leading provider of solar solutions in Ontario and beyond," said Anthony Caputo, President and Chief Executive
Officer of ATS. "The Green Energy Act, feed-in tariff program and
domestic content goals have provided an excellent foundation for
both ATS and PWO to apply our skills and experience to serving our
home market."
SAFE HARBOR STATEMENT
This press release contains "forward-looking" statements within
the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as
amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended, and as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve inherent
risks and uncertainties and actual results may differ materially
from such estimates depending on future events and other changes in
business climate and market conditions. Hanwha SolarOne
disclaims any obligation to update or correct any forward-looking
statements.
About Hanwha SolarOne
Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd. (NASDAQ: HSOL) is a vertically
integrated manufacturer of silicon ingots, wafers, PV cells and
modules. Hanwha SolarOne offers high-quality, reliable
products and services at competitive prices. Partnering with
third party distributors, OEM manufacturers, and system
integrators, Hanwha SolarOne serves the utility,
commercial/government, and residential markets. The Company
maintains a strong worldwide presence with employees located
throughout Europe, North America, and Asia and embraces environmental responsibility
and sustainability with an active role in the voluntary
photovoltaic recycling program. The Company benefits from its
strategic partnership with its largest shareholder Hanwha Group who
is active in solar project development and financing and plans to
produce polysilicon in the future. For more information
visit: www.hanwha-solarone.com.
HSOL-G
About Photowatt Ontario
Photowatt Ontario has been established as part of the Photowatt
group to serve the Ontario solar
market. Combined with ATS, it is uniquely positioned, with over one
million square feet of Ontario-based manufacturing, substantial
automation and project expertise and extensive global solar
capabilities and experience to be a natural domestic solar market
leader. The module line is one element of Photowatt Ontario's
investment in Ontario to serve the
Ontario solar market with module
manufacturing and turnkey solar project development and
installations. Photowatt Ontario is also developing solar
projects directly, including 64 megawatts of large-scale renewable
energy projects in Northern
Ontario with a joint venture partner and is actively
pursuing partnerships with developers/ building owners/operators
and municipalities for roof-top solar installations.
The Photowatt group is a turnkey solar project developer and
integrated manufacturer. Photowatt designs, manufactures and sells
solar modules, and installation kits, and provides solar power
systems design and other value-added services, principally in
Western Europe and Ontario. Photowatt France has a
well-established and ongoing research and development program,
alliances with energy industry leaders through the PV Alliance
joint venture and 30 years of experience in processing silicon and
making ingots, wafers, cells and modules. Visit the
Photowatt website at www.photowatt.com and the Photowatt Ontario
website at www.photowattontario.com
About ATS
ATS Automation provides innovative, custom designed, built and
installed manufacturing solutions to many of the world's most
successful companies. Founded in 1978, ATS uses its
industry-leading knowledge and global capabilities to serve the
sophisticated automation systems' needs of multinational customers
in industries such as life sciences, computer/electronics, energy,
automotive and consumer products. It also leverages its many years
of experience and skills to fulfill the specialized automation
product manufacturing requirements of customers. Through Photowatt,
ATS participates in the growing solar energy industry. ATS employs
approximately 3,000 people at 21 manufacturing facilities in
Canada, the United States, Europe, Southeast
Asia and China. The
Company's shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the
symbol ATA. Visit the Company's website at
www.atsautomation.com.
For further information, please contact:
Investor Contact:
Paul Combs
V.P. of Investor Relations
Building 1, 18th Floor
1199 Minsheng Road, Shanghai, PRC
200135
P. R. China
Tel: 86-21-3852 1533 / Mobile: 86 138 1612 2768
E-mail: paul.combs@hanwha-solarone.com
Christensen
Kathy Li
Tel: +1 480 614 3036
E-mail: kli@ChristensenIR.com
Tip Fleming
Tel: + 852 9212 0684
E-mail: tfleming@ChristensenIR.com
SOURCE Hanwha SolarOne Co., Ltd.