Sharp to build new solar cell plant

Sharp announced plans today spend $3.2 billion to build a thin-film solar cell plant and an LCD facility on the same site in Japan.

The company said building on the same location in Sakai City will allow the two procuction facilities to share materials and utilities.

TFT LCDs and thin-film solar cells are based on the same thin-film technologies.

Earlier this year, Sharp announced it would double its production capacity for solar photovoltaic modules at its plant in the U.K. (see Sharp doubling solar production capacity in Europe)

Construction on the joint facility is expected to begin in November of this year, with operations to start by March 2010.

Sharp plans to produce approximately 1000 megawats per year at the solar plant.

The company said the LCD plant will cover 1.27 million square meters.

Sharp said details on the solar cell plant are still under review.

Osaka-based Sharp, best known for its consumer electronics, is the world's largest manufacturer of photovoltaic solar cells.

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