Chinese solar maker Yingli Green Energy (NYSE: YGE [1]) today announced it has brought newly finished production lines online.

The previously-announced expansion is expected to add 100 megawatts of total production capacity of polysilicon wafers, PV cells and PV modules and strengthen the company’s vertically integrated business model.

Yingli started trial production of polysilicon ingots from the new lines on June 1, 2007, and, after testing and modifications, is now in production at full capacity, it said.

The company's total production capacity is now 200 megawatts.

"In addition to capacity expansion, [the new expansion] includes an independent systems engineering research center, training center and R&D center," said Liansheng Miao, chairman and CEO of Yingli.

"We believe these facilities will help us enhance our ingot and wafer manufacturing production processes, boost our output efficiency and improve the overall conversion efficiency of our PV cells and the power generation of our PV modules."

Yingli Green Energy is one of the leading vertically integrated photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers in China.

The company designs, manufactures and sells PV modules, and even installs PV systems.

It expects to gradually expand annual production capacity of polysilicon ingots and wafers, PV cells and PV modules to 400 megawatts by the end of 2008 and to 600 megawatts by 2010.

Shares of Yingli continued to climb today, adding 4 percent to $17.50 in mid-day trading.

The company went public at $11 a share last month (see Yingli trades down in first day on NYSE [2].)