CIGS-Produzent: Showa Shell Sekiyu - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[meinolf67]

By Mayumi Negishi and Kentaro Hamada

TOKYO, July 2 (Reuters) - Japanese oil distributor Showa Shell Sekiyu KK (5002.T: Quote, Profile, Research) plans to build one of the world's biggest solar panel plants as it seeks new revenues amid weak gasoline sales, a source close to the matter said on Wednesday.

Showa Shell is considering a plan to spend roughly 100 billion yen ($943 million) to build a solar plant with an annual capacity of 1,000 megawatts, said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The plant, to go online in 2011, would be equivalent to solar capacity at a planned plant of Sharp Corp (6753.T: Quote, Profile, Research), which is trying to catch up to Germany's Q-Cells AG (QCEG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research) and become the world's biggest solar panel maker.

Showa Shell is betting on its solar cells that use copper and indium instead of pricey silicon, most commonly used in solar panels, and hopes to gain an edge over Q-Cells and China's Suntech Power Holdings Co (STP.N: Quote, Profile, Research).

The Japanese government aims to restart solar subsidies in 2009, and the oil firm is hoping strong domestic demand for solar power would help make up for sluggish sales of gasoline at home.

Showa Shell further plans to work with semiconductor equipment maker Ulvac Inc (6728.T: Quote, Profile, Research) on research to raise efficiency of the panels and extract more energy from them, said the source.

The two plan to spend about 7 billion yen to build a research facility next year, the source said. Showa Shell currently has a solar panel plant with an annual capacity of 20 megawatts, and is building a second plant in Miyazaki, western Japan with an annual capacity of 60 megawatts.

No decision has been made on where the plant would be built, the source said.

The company said in a statement that it was considering raising capacity for solar panels and partnerships, but that nothing had been decided.

Prices of silicon have risen as investors put their money in an industry fuelled by state subsidies and tax incentives in Germany, Spain and the United States, as well as in Japan.

Japan's Sharp is also trying to wean itself from silicon by focusing on thin-film solar cells, which use a fraction of the silicon used in conventional solar cells.

Shares of Showa Shell closed the morning session up 1.3 percent at 1,194 yen after surging to a six-month high of 1,259 yen, against a 1 percent fall in the benchmark Nikkei average .N225. Sharp ended the morning session down 1.2 percent. (Additional reporting by Risa Maeda in Tokyo and Steve James in New York; Editing by Chris Gallagher)

[meinolf67]

aus dem Q-Bericht per 0.6.2008:

[Other businesses]
With regard to the CIS solar battery (a thin-film solar powered cells utilising copper, indium and selenium) business,
Showa Shell Solar K.K., a consolidated subsidiary, started mass production in the latter half of 2007 at the Miyazaki
plant, its first factory, and its second factory is currently under construction with operations scheduled to start in 2009.
“SOLACIS”, our CIS solar powered cells, which has won the second Monodzukuri Nippon Grand Award, the Good Design Award for 2007, as well as the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) New Energy Award for
2007, has been highly evaluated for its design and spirit of innovation.

[meinolf67]

20 Stk. in Berlin gekauft

[SLGramann]

Na, das ist ja spannend, dass die börsennotiert sind! Da weiß ich ja, was ich morgen zu tun habe. Ganz viel lesen!

[meinolf67]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 34.879.492 von SLGramann am 27.08.08 16:25:11

Sind aber primär ein Ölhändler (wie man dem Namen entnehmen kann)...


Trotzdem nicht uninteressant.

Sie haben die 20MW Fertigung in Betrieb und bauen derzeit an einer 60MW Erweiterung.

Außerdem haben sie mal die Ide gefloatet, eine 1 GW-Fabrik zu bauen. Da muß aber das board mitmachen.

Vertrieben wird unter der Marke "Solar Frontier"; die hatten auch einen Stand auf der Intersolar in München.

KGV 2008e unter 10, etwa 15% EK-Rendite; KBV ca. 1,4

[meinolf67]

In der PHOTON vom August ist ein Artikel über Showa Shell.

Dort steht etwas von 600 Mio. Euro für die 1.000MW Fabrik.

Wäre mit 60c/Wp ja eher billig.

Kumuliertes Prosuktionsvolumen bisher sei 8 MW.

Außerdem gibt es eine Kooperation mit ULVAC (auch neuer Thread eingerichtet), um die wirkungsgrade von 10-12% auf 11-13% zu erhöhen.

Dort steht auch, daß die "Solar Frontier" Module über Schüco verkauft werden.

[SLGramann]

Nach einem ersten Überblick bin ich schon ziemlich fasziniert!

Was wir hier haben, ist ein Downstream-Player im Ölgeschäft, dessen Marktkapitalisierung von den Öl- und Gasaktivitäten mehr oder weniger gut abgedeckt ist.

Was wir aber auch noch haben, ist ein Unternehmen, das über das angestammte Geschäft hinaus denkt und einen funktionierenen CIS-Prozess hat und damit wirklich große Pläne verfolgt.

Außerdem bauen sie noch ein Standbein als Elektrizitätsversorger auf und bauen derzeit ein Gaskraftwerk. Die späteren Synergien zu ihrer CIS-Fab liegen klar auf der Hand.

Zu den Zahlen für 2007, wie ich sie verstanden habe, mit all diesen japanischen und US-amerikanischen Billionen...

Umsatz:

3,1 Billionen Yen (europäische Billionen) bzw. 19 Mrd. Euro

Gewinn:

43,7 Mrd Yen bzw. 272 Mio. Euro

EPS:

116 Yen bzw. 0,72 Euro = KGV 2007: 10,4 (heutiger Kurs: 7,45 Euro)

Dividende:

0,22 Euro pro Aktie = Dividendenrendite 2007: 2,95%

Aktien / Marktkapitalisierung:

376 Mio. Stück = Marktkap.: 2,8 Mrd. Euro

Prognose 2008:

Gewinn: 56 Mrd. Yen bzw. 348 Mio. Euro
KGV 2008: 8

Was man mal noch prüfen müsste, wäre der Verschuldungsgrad.

Unter der Voraussetzung, dass der PV-Markt in 2011 noch anständige Margen erlaubt und dass die GW-Fab läuft, besteht natürlich ein beachtlicher Hebel für die Marktkap.

Fraglich ist aber auch, wie billig ein CIS-Prozess sein kann. Nach allem was man hört, ist das signifikant teurer, als CdTe.

[meinolf67]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 34.888.699 von SLGramann am 28.08.08 11:32:34

Aktiva im Wesentlichen wahrscheinlich werthaltig (kaum immaterielles);

EK-Quote 25,6%

fast 30% Lieferantenschulden (aber auch hohe Außenstände)

ca. 20% Bankschulden

plötzlich Konkurs gehen die wohl nicht.


allerdings wäre ich mit der Wertung "funktionierender Prozeß" immer vorsichtig. wir wissen nur, daß sie optimistisch genug waren, einen Ausbau zu starten...


off-topic:
hast Du die Nanosolar-Meldung von gestern gesehen?

[SLGramann]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 34.888.884 von meinolf67 am 28.08.08 11:42:48

Du hast natürlich grundsätzlich recht mit Deiner Vorsicht hinsichtlich des Prozesses, aber ich habe ein gutes Gefühl. Auf der Website von Showa habe ich gelesen, dass sie die Technik seit 1993 entwickeln. Die erste Fab arbeitet so richtig seit dem zweiten Halbjahr 2007. Wenn der Photon-Artikel so im Mai/Juni recherchiert und geschrieben worden ist, dann sind 8 MW nicht sooo weit weg von der Nominalkapazität.

So hat es im April 2007 angefangen:

For the first time, Japanese company Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. presented its thin-film module outside Japan. The panel, which is still in the pre-serial production phase, was displayed at the PV Symposium in Bad Staffelstein, Germany in March. Some might already have caught a glimpse of the panel in Japan, where it was on display at the Renewable Energy Conference in Oct. 2006 (see PI 1/2007, p. 78). This product has been under development for years; now market launch is fast approaching.
The modules are 1,235 mm long and 641 mm wide, weigh 12.4 kg, and have a power of 75 W. Module efficiency is 9.48 percent, and the company intends to obtain IEC 61646 certification. Showa Shell has not yet discussed the product‘s price, but that will change no later than at the end of June, when the module is introduced on the European market during the Intersolar trade fair in Freiburg, Germany. European distribution will be managed by Solar Frontier Ltd., which was founded exclusively for this purpose. In Japan, where the first modules will hit the streets in the coming weeks, the device will be sold under the Showa Shell name.
The module‘s absorber consists of copper, indium, gallium, and diselenide, which Solar Frontier abbreviates as CIS in the product‘s data sheet. The modules are produced in a factory in the Japanese city of Miyazaki on the southern island of Kyushu. Series production is currently being started. Annual production capacity will start at 20 MW, but the company already is considering expansion.

---------------

Die Erweiterung auf 1 GW scheint mehr als eine Idee zu sein.

In der Pressemitteilung vom Juli klingt das sehr konkret:

With a high manufacturing capacity attained by the collaborative research, Showa Shell seeks to enhance production cost competitiveness and to start a new plant in 2011 with an annual production capacity of 1,000 megawatts (1 gigawatt).

-----------------

Was ich auch gut finde, ist, dass Showa - anders als so manches Startup oder auch größere PV-Player, nie echte Probleme mit der Finanzierung des Kapazitätsausbaus haben wird.

[SLGramann]

Von Timminco in Showa umgeschichtet.

(Bin wohl etwas sprunghaft... )

[meinolf67]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 34.893.456 von SLGramann am 28.08.08 16:05:55

hast Du in München gekauft?

[meinolf67]

Wirtschaftsnews - von heute 09:19
Showa Shell senkt Raffinerieausstoß


Tokio 10.09.08 (www.emfis.com) Japan fünft größte Raffinerie, Showa Shell Sekiyu KK, gab heute bekannt, dass sie ihren Raffinerieausstoß von September bis Dezember um 21.000 Barrel täglich, auf Grund der geringen Nachfrage, mindern werden. Dies entspricht einer Kürzung des Ausstoßes um ca. 4,4 Prozent.
Showa Shell ist damit der letzte japanische Raffineriebetreiber der eine Kürzung der Produktion bekannt gab.
Im letzten Monat gaben bereits die Raffineriebetreiber Idemitsu Kosan und Nippon Oil eine Minderung der Ausstoßmengen auf Grund der geringen Nachfrage bekannt.

[meinolf67]

12. September 2008
Explosive Growth Reshuffles Top 10 Solar Ranking
by Dr. Paula Doe, Contributing Editor, Solid-State Technology

The explosion of photovoltaics production across the globe completely reshuffled the top companies in Nomura Securities' annual ranking of the leading companies, knocking long established Japanese players out of the top spots and putting four Asian suppliers in the Top 10. Japan's leading solar companies outline their strategies for this changing market in this report from SST partner Nikkei Microdevices.

"With a plentiful supply of silicon available again, and revolutionary new technologies ready for market, 2010-2011 will be a crucial turning point. Companies who miss this window of opportunity will lose out to the competition."

-- says Yuichi Kuroda, Director of Planning, Showa Shell Solar

Fast growing Q-Cells AG became the world's largest solar cell maker in 2007, producing nearly 400 megawatts (MW) worth of product. Longtime solar industry leader Sharp found itself in second place as production slipped to roughly 370 MW, which the company blamed on a constrained supply of silicon. China's Suntech was close behind the leaders with more than 300 MW output, pushing Kyocera and its 200 MW to a distant third.

Four new companies jumped into the top ranks. CdTe-cell maker First Solar debuted at fifth place, the only US-based and only thin-film supplier on the list. Asian players Motech Industries (Taiwan), Yingli Green Energy (China), and JA Solar Holdings (China/Australia) rounded out the rankings, pushing aside some long-established players like Mitsubishi Electric, Schott AG, and BP Solar (see Figure 1, below).

Nomura notes that Japan's overall share of the solar cell market, at 50% a few years ago, is now down to about 20% and could well slip to 15% in the next few years as the rest of the world ramps up solar-cell production.


Figure 1: Big growth in solar market shakes up top 10 ranking. (Source: Nomura Securities, Nikkei Microdevices)


The major Japanese suppliers are aiming for major growth of their own in the next two years, with big expansions in capacity — on the gigawatt scale at Sharp and Showa Shell Solar KK — and on new technologies they say will significantly improve efficiency. "The next two years will determine the winners," AIST Research Center for Photovoltaics director Michio Kondo told Nikkei Microdevices. "Later entrants won't be able to catch up to those who put an all out effort now into technology and scale and speed. A year from now will be too late."

Sharp's comeback strategy is a major ramp of production capacity in both crystalline and thin-film cells, and an expansion across the entire solar value chain, to assure capturing the highest value-added parts of the business and the high value of integrating the whole system, reports Tetsuro Muramatsu, GM of the company's solar systems group. He says Sharp plans 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity for crystalline cells and another 1 GW of capacity of thin-film cells by 2010, counting on the economies-of-scale from the high-volume production to reduce costs enough to bring solar electricity down to close to the target $0.21/kWh.

Sharp figures the solar cells or modules themselves account for only 25% (for x-Si) to 40% (thin-film) of the added value of the finished total system, with materials as much as 20% (x-Si), and systems and engineering another 35%-40%. Accordingly, the firm has in recent months started its expansion across the value chain by forming a company to develop solar production equipment with Tokyo Electron, by signing on to solar power production deals with utilities in Japan and Italy, and by investing in developing large-capacity, low-cost storage batteries for solar systems through Japanese Li-ion venture ELIIY Power. The company eyes bringing solar systems to regions of the world with no electrical grid with government supported lease financing.


Crystalline silicon has led the way for solar PV, but future solar growth will mostly come from thin-film. (Source: Mizuho Securities, Nikkei Microdevices)


Also planning to ramp to 1 GW capacity by 2011 is Showa Shell Solar, which currently makes only 20 MW a year of its CIS thin-film cells. A second planned plant will bring total capacity to 60 MW by next year, and another much bigger plant will reach 1 GW by 2011, targeting as well a jump to 10%-12% CIS efficiency. The economies-of-scale of high-volume production will mean lower materials and facilities costs, argues director of planning Yuichi Kuroda. "Overseas rivals are moving towards gigawatt scale plants," he notes. "If we don't outpace them, we'll lose out." Showa Shell has so far relied on equipment it designed in-house, but to speed up development of better deposition technology for higher-efficiency film it is developing a next-generation high-volume tool set jointly with Ulvac.

Contributing to the rapid industry ramp-up of capacity are new players buying turnkey thin-film deposition lines from Applied Materials, Oerlikon Balzers, or Ulvac. Applied says it had contracted for sales totaling 1.7 GW of capacity across 10 customers as of June. Ulvac's Yoshio Sunaga, senior managing director and chief director of the FPD business, says it has orders for 217.5 MW worth, from NexPower Technology, Sunner Solar, China Solar Power, and another Chinese and another Korean customer, who altogether plan future expansions of 650 MW more. Ulvac is just starting to expand its marketing to Europe, India, and the Middle East. Sunaga reports Ulvac has installed capacity to produce 600 MW/year worth of tools at its Tohoku facility.

The initial turnkey lines have gotten up and running in a quick 16-19 months. Taiwan's NexPower ordered 37.5 MW capacity from Ulvac in March 2007 and started shipping 6.5% efficient cells in June 2008. Moser Baer Photovoltaic ordered 40 MW capacity from Applied in March 2007, started initial production in July 2008, and plans to start shipping product in September.


Big Japanese solar suppliers add thin film, high-efficiency x-Si capacity. (Source: Nikkei Microdevices)


Some question, however, how a company can distinguish itself in the long term if it makes the same product with the same turnkey production line as its competitors. NexPower president Semi Wang told Nikkei Microdevices his company planned to find its own ways to improve its future production lines itself to reduce costs, with its own developments and with equipment from other companies. Kaneka's Mikio Hatta, managing executive officer of the solar energy division, questions how producers making 6%-7% efficient cells on turnkey lines can compete with the 10%-11% efficient cells his company makes with equipment it developed itself.

Other major players Sanyo Electric, Kyocera, Mitsubishi Electric, Kaneka, and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries plan more modest capacity expansions over the next few years, concentrating instead primarily on developing their proprietary new technologies to make higher-efficiency cells at lower cost, often relying initially on specialty equipment developed in-house.

Kyocera and Mitsubishi Electric each plan to expand to 500 MW annual capacity for crystalline solar cells by 2010-2012, noting their growth plans are limited primarily by the amount of silicon they expect to be able to obtain. Both companies say they have no plans to start thin-film production in the foreseeable future, though both are continuing research efforts. Instead, they count on significantly improved efficiencies from new x-Si technologies. Kyocera solar energy marketing manager Ichiro Ikeda says his company plans to start production in April 2009 of its back-contact cells, which are now getting 18.5% efficiency in the lab. Solar systems manager Satoshi Ikeda reports Mitsubishi Electric plans volume production in 2010 of its honeycomb cells, currently with R&D efficiency of 18.6%.

"With a plentiful supply of silicon available again, and revolutionary new technologies ready for market, 2010-2011 will be a crucial turning point," says Showa Shell Solar's Kuroda. "Companies who miss this window of opportunity will lose out to the competition."

[meinolf67]

Showa Shell\'s Jan-Sep net profit near doubles on year to $637 mil

Tokyo (Platts)--31Oct2008

Japan\'s Showa Shell posted a net profit of Yen 62.1 billion ($637
million) for the nine months to September, almost double the Yen 33.3 billion
recorded in the same period a year earlier, the company said Friday.
Its operating profit rose to Yen 110 billion from Yen 59.1 billion, while
its pre-tax profit increased to Yen 111.6 billion from Yen 60.5 billion.
Revenue came in at Yen 2.59 trillion, compared with Yen 2.29 trillion in
the same period last year.
Its oil segment posted an operating profit of Yen 106.7 billion, compared
with Yen 56.5 billion in the same period a year earlier. Its gasoline sales
slowed in the period but its fuel oil sales for power generation were strong.
Amid this, the company increased exports of middle distillates in order
to cover domestic sales decline.
For full-year (January-December), the company has downgraded its
forecasts. Its net profit is now seen to come in at breakeven, compared with
its previous forecast of Yen 56 billion profit. Its operating profit was also
slashed, to Yen 7 billion from Yen 97 billion, and pre-tax profit to Yen 10
billion from Yen 100 billion.
The company\'s revenue is now forecast to come in at Yen 3.28 trillion,
from Yen 3.53 trillion earlier.
Showa Shell is owned by Shell (35.04%), Saudi Aramco (14.96%) and public
investors (50%).
--Fumiko Dobashi, [e-mail]

[SLGramann]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 35.778.937 von meinolf67 am 31.10.08 16:26:28

Ergänzen möchte ich, dass die jetzige Prognose eines Null-Ergebnisses in 2008 auf Abwertungen von gelagertem Öl aufgrund des Preisverfalls beruht. Das operative Geschäft ist dagegen relativ stabil. Dies zeigt sich auch in der stabilen Dividende.

Ich hoffe, dass im ersten Halbjahr 2009 konkrete Entscheidungen zur "Großen Fabrik" fallen werden.


On a current cost of supply basis
(excluding the effect of inventory valuation), consolidated ordinary income for the full
year is estimated to be 50 billion yen and expected to remain the same as the previous
forecast.

(5) Dividends
The annual dividend, 36 yen per share (interim dividend 18 yen per share and year-end
dividend 18 yen per share) is expected to be unchanged.

[meinolf67]

Nov. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Idemitsu Kosan Co., Japan’s second- largest oil refiner, and Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. will cut crude oil processing in the quarter ending Dec. 31 as the nation’s demand for gasoline and other petroleum products declines.

Idemitsu will process 15 percent less crude, or 7.4 million kiloliters (505,935 barrels a day), in the three-month period, the Tokyo-based refiner said in a statement on its Web site. Today’s cut is deeper than the 14 percent reduction proposed in September. Showa Shell, the Japanese unit of Royal Dutch Shell Plc, said it will cut processing by 8 percent.

The move follows an announcement yesterday by Nippon Oil Corp., the country’s biggest refiner, that it will reduce output in December because of weak demand. Gasoline demand fell for a sixth month in October as the recession accelerated the decline in automotive fuel sales. Crude oil imports for the month dropped 7.7 percent from a year earlier, the trade ministry said today.

Showa Shell will process a total of 6.66 million kiloliters of crude oil during the fourth quarter, it said on its Web site. It will cut output in November and December by an additional 100,000 kiloliters from what it originally planned.

The refiner will quadruple exports in the fourth quarter to 850,000 kiloliters. The company will reduce fuel shipments to the local market by 17 percent.

Gasoline Sales

Domestic gasoline sales dropped 7 percent from a year earlier to 4.68 million kiloliters last month, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry said in a monthly oil report today. Demand for all refined oil products slipped 13.1 percent to 15.9 million kiloliters.

Idemitsu processed 2.27 million kiloliters of oil in October, 19 percent down from last year. It will process 2.24 million kiloliters this month, down 23 percent, and 2.89 million kiloliters in December, down 4 percent, spokeswoman Maki Yusunaga said by phone.

The refiner will lower wholesale fuel prices in the week starting Dec. 1, it said in the statement. Gasoline prices will be cut by 3.6 yen (4 cents) a liter and kerosene will be reduced by 1.5 yen.

To contact the reporter on this story: Michio Nakayama in Tokyo at [e-mail].
Last Updated: November 28, 2008 02:12 EST

[meinolf67]

16.12.2008 09:07
Showa Shell to raise oil export capacity - source

TOKYO, Dec 16 (Reuters) - Showa Shell (News) Sekiyu, Japan's fifth-biggest oil refiner, has been making efforts to boost its oil export capacity to make up for a shrinking domestic market, a company source said.

The source declined to provide details but the NenryoYushi, an energy industry newspaper, reported that Showa Shell aims to roughly double its export capacity to about 5 million kilolitres a year (86,000 barrels per day).

Japanese refiners including top-ranked Nippon Oil Corp have been raising oil export capacity as the economic downturn and aging population eat into energy demand at home. Japan's oil product sales in October tumbled to their lowest level in 20 years for the month.

Showa Shell said in October it expected to more than triple its oil product exports to 850,000 kl (58,000 bpd) in October-December compared with a year earlier, to compensate for flagging sales at home.

Last month, it cut its crude refining volume plan by 100,000 kilolitres (630,000 barrels) in November-December from its original plan in response to declining demand at home.

[R-BgO]

Showa Shell May Buy Hitachi Plant for Solar Project (Update1)
Share | Email | Print | A A A

By Shigeru Sato and Michio Nakayama

April 1 (Bloomberg) -- Showa Shell Sekiyu KK, the oil refiner seeking land to build its third solar panel factory, said it’s in talks to buy Hitachi Ltd’s mothballed plasma television panel plant in southern Japan.

The Hitachi factory in Miyazaki Prefecture on Kyushu island is near Tokyo-based Showa Shell’s two existing solar panel plants, the refiner said in a statement on its Web site today.

Showa Shell said the third solar panel production plant would cost an estimated 100 billion yen ($1 billion) and is set to start operating in 2011. The Royal Dutch Shell Plc unit is diversifying from fuel production as Japan’s petroleum demand declines because of a shrinking population and increased energy conservation by households and businesses.

Shares in Japan’s fourth largest oil refiner jumped 6.9 percent in Tokyo trading to 958 yen by 11 a.m. in Tokyo, poised for their biggest gain since March 23.

Hitachi confirmed the talks with Showa Shell in a separate statement today. Japan’s second-biggest plasma television maker suspended operations at the plant in the town of Kunitomi last year as the global recession battered demand for home electronics. Hitachi has been studying alternative uses for the facility, it said.

Showa Shell invested 5 billion yen in its first solar panel factory and 15 billion yen in the second, with combined production capacity totaling 80 megawatts a year. The proposed third plant would have output capacity of 1,000 megawatts.

[tasiria]

in der neuen PHOTON steht,daß sie ihren umsatz verdreifachen

[R-BgO]

Q1-Zahlen waren schrecklich; bei dem Tempo geht ihnen irgendwann nächstes Jahr das EK aus.

[R-BgO]

Showa Shell to Spend 160 Billion Yen on Solar Output

By Megumi Yamanaka

May 26 (Bloomberg) -- Showa Shell Sekiyu KK, a Japanese refiner and solar-equipment maker, will spend as much as 160 billion yen ($1.7 billion) over five years to increase solar output to 1 gigawatt a year from 80 megawatts now.

The company plans to spend 500 billion yen overall by the end of 2014, investing equally in refining and solar operations and allocating the rest for investor returns, including dividends, President Jun Arai said at a media briefing in Tokyo.

The Royal Dutch Shell Plc unit is diversifying from fuel production as Japan’s petroleum demand declines because of a shrinking population and increased energy conservation by households and businesses. Showa Shell aims to secure a 10 percent share of the global solar panel market in five years, up from less than 1 percent now.

The company targets pretax profit excluding inventory valuations of 100 billion yen ($1.05 billion) for 2014, according to a five-year business plan released to the Tokyo Stock Exchange earlier today. The solar business will earn half that total, the company expects, up from break-even earnings in the year ended December 2008.

Showa Shell has two solar-panel factories in Miyazaki Prefecture, southern Japan, with combined production capacity of 80 megawatts a year. The refiner said last month it’s in talks to buy a mothballed Hitachi Ltd. plasma television panel plant in Miyazaki, with plans to build a third solar-panel plant for an estimated 100 billion yen to start production in 2011. The company will decide on detailed plans for the plant in the fall of this year, Chairman Shigeya Kato said today.

The shares have risen 20 percent in the last six months, trailing the 54 percent increase in the 11-member Topix Oil and Coal Product Index. They rose 0.1 percent to 895 yen in Tokyo today.

Showa Shell will spend about 160 billion yen on its refining business, with about half of that going to upgrading existing facilities, Arai said.

[R-BgO]

24.06.2009 05:00
UPDATE 1-Showa Shell, Saudi Aramco plan solar power project

TOKYO, June 24 (Reuters) - Japanese oil refiner Showa Shell Sekiyu KK said on Wednesday it will start a solar power project in Saudi Arabia with Saudi Aramco to build small-scale facilities to supply electricity to local communities.

Showa Shell, Japan's fifth-biggest oil company, is ramping up investment in solar cells as it tries to become a major player in the alternative energy.

It hopes to generate new revenue streams besides gasoline and other oil products that are subject to market volatility.

Showa Shell said it and state oil company Saudi Aramco will build a pilot plant next year to conduct studies on the project, in which it plans to build facilities with generating capacity of 1-2 megawatts in Saudi Arabia serving communities without access to power grids.

Once the project gets on track, the two plan to establish a joint venture around 2012 and will target similar operations in emerging countries in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Africa, Latin America and elsewhere, the Nikkei business daily said.

Showa Shell favours solar cells that use copper and indium instead of the more expensive silicon most commonly used in solar panels, and hopes to gain a 10 percent market share by 2014.

As the race heats up among rival solar cell makers such as Q-Cells and Sharp Corp, Showa Shell aims to stay competitive by offering comprehensive products and services to solar power generation businesses. (Reporting by Taiga Uranaka and Mayumi Negishi; Editing by Michael Watson)

[R-BgO]

07.09.2009 13:13
UPDATE 2-Showa Shell to spend $1.1 bln chasing First Solar

TOKYO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Japanese oil refiner Showa Shell Sekiyu KK said it will invest $1.1 billion to build a new thin-film solar cell plant, as it chases First Solar in a growing market.

Showa Shell's 100 billion yen plant -- its third solar cell facility -- will boost its annual production capacity twelve-fold to 980 megawatts when it comes onstream in the second half of 2011.

A market downturn has hurt demand for pholtovoltaic solar systems that turn sunlight into electricity, hitting even low-cost players such as First Solar.

But that's not stopping investment by stragglers who reined in spending in the solar boom last year.

Japanese polysilicon maker Tokuyama Corp is investing $700 million in a solar cell materials plant, while South Korean flat-screen maker LG Display Co plans to invest $41 million in a pilot solar cell line.

'We believe we will be able to match First Solar's cost-per-watt in the near future,' said Shigeaki Kameda, head of Showa Shell's solar unit. He declined to say what Showa Shell's cost per watt is, but First Solar in February said it was able to make solar cells at $1 per watt.

Showa Shell, Japan's fifth-biggest oil company, is hunting new revenue streams in alternative energy, as it foresees electricity demand outpacing global oil production.

Showa Shell, whose annual production capacity is now 80 megawatts, aims to next build a fourth and a fifth plant as it aims to make its solar business earn half of its target core recurring profit of 100 billion yen in 2014.

The company specialises in solar cells made using copper, indium, and selenium, which are not as efficient at converting light into electricity as the bulk of solar cells made from polysilicon, but are cheaper.

Showa Shell's new plant will supply 900 megawatts-worth of power per year through solar cells with conversion ratios of 13 percent to 15 percent. That falls short of the more than 20 percent conversion ratio boasted by Sanyo Electric Co, but its panels cost 25 percent to 35 percent less.

The company, which hopes to gain a 10 percent share of the market, bought Hitachi Ltd's plasma display factory in Miyazaki, southern Japan, and is building its new plant there. It said it would hire Hitachi's former employees to man the lines.

Its shares closed up 2 percent prior to the announcement, against a 1.3 percent rise in the Nikkei average.

($1=93.15 Yen)

($1=1232.1 Won)

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 37.931.449 von R-BgO am 07.09.09 13:49:11

Announcement on the Investment in the Third CIS Photovoltaic Module Plant of Showa Shell Solar K.K.
07/09/2009

Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. (Chairman: Shigeya Kato, Headquarters: Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo) and its 100% subsidiary Showa Shell Solar K.K. (President: Shigeaki Kameda, Headquarters: Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo) have decided to construct their third CIS photovoltaic (PV) plant in Miyazaki Prefecture, which is planned to start operations in 2011.

The photovoltaic market is expected to grow significantly with improvements in subsidy programs for residential photovoltaic systems in Japan and the launching of Green New Deal Policy in the U.S., as the world accelerates movement towards a low carbon society.

The annual production capacity of the third plant is 900 megawatt, with an investment of approximately 100 billion yen. Including the first plant and the second plant that are already in operation, Showa Shell's total annual production capacity is expected to reach approximately 1 gigawatt (1,000 megawatt). Showa Shell will purchase the Miyazaki Plant owned by Hitachi Plasma Display Ltd. located in Kunitomi-cho, Higashimorokata-gun, Miyazaki, and install equipment there to quickly construct the new plant. Production from the plant will be sold in Japan and around the world for various uses including residential, industrial and solar power generation.

With this investment decision, Showa Shell steps forward in pursuing its Medium Term Business Vision, "EPOCH 2010: Conquer the Change, Pioneer the Future," in which expansion of the solar business is a key priority.

Showa Shell Solar K.K. and its CIS Photovoltaic (PV) Modules
Showa Shell Solar developed leading technology in manufacturing thin-film CIS photovoltaic modules (product name: "SOLACIS" ) and started commercial production at the first plant ( "Miyazaki Plant" , annual production capacity 20MW) in 2007. This April, the second plant ( "Second Miyazaki Plant" , annual production capacity 60MW) was completed, and commercial production started in June. At Atsugi Research Center, research and development of leading production technology for the third plant is conducted.
[ Outline of Showa Shell Solar K.K. ]
Address of Headquarters Daiba Frontier Building, 2-3-2 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Representative Shigeaki Kameda (President, Representative Director)
Capital 2.62 billion yen
Capital Structure 100% Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K.
Number of Employees Approximately 450 people
[ Outline of Third Miyazaki Plant ]
Address Kunitomi-cho, Higashimorokata-gun, Miyazaki
Annual Production Capacity 900MW
Amount of Investment 100 billion yen
Start of Operation Within the second half of 2011 (plan)
Number of Employees Approximately 800 people (at the start of operation)
Area Approximately 400,000m2

CIS PV modules are leading edge solar panels, composed of Copper, Indium and Selenium, without the use of silicon. CIS modules are generally regarded as the most promising technology among all the thin-film photovoltaic applications. CIS modules have already achieved the highest efficiency level among the thin-film photovoltaic applications, and the potential is high for further improving the conversion efficiency with this technology. Compared to crystalline silicon photovoltaic modules that are the current mainstream, CIS modules can be produced at lower cost with less raw materials required and approximately half the manufacturing process steps. In addition, CIS modules are environmentally friendly products with a drastically reduced energy payback time (period required for the recovery of energy consumed during manufacturing through power generation), and Showa Shell's CIS modules do not contain toxic materials such as lead and cadmium.

Because of it innovative technology, Showa Shell CIS PV modules were awarded the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Prize, the highest award presented at the 12th New Energy Awards sponsored by the New Energy Foundation. Showa Shell's CIS modules also received the Prize for Excellence (Manufacturing and Technology Development Category) at the 2nd Monozukuri Nippon Grand Awards held by Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. With its superior design and solid black color that are well suited for rooftops, Showa Shell CIS modules were honored with the Ecology Design Prize of the Good Design Awards in 2007.

[R-BgO]

Showa Shell Weighs Restructuring; Japan Refiners Rise (Update1)


By Shigeru Sato and Yuji Okada

Feb. 16 (Bloomberg) -- Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., a Japanese oil refiner, said it’s considering restructuring while declining to confirm a report it will cut capacity by 20 percent. Domestic fuel producers rose on speculation the move would boost profits.

The Tokyo-based company will scrap the 120,000 barrel-a-day Keihin plant near Tokyo to counter falling demand as more fuel- efficient and hybrid cars take to the roads, Japanese broadcaster NHK reported. Showa Shell said in a statement to the stock exchange it wouldn’t confirm or deny the report.

Japanese refiners Nippon Oil Corp., Nippon Mining Holdings Corp. and Cosmo Oil Co. have announced planned refinery closures in the last two years amounting to 680,000 barrels-a-day of capacity as domestic fuel use declines because of energy conservation and a shrinking population. Showa Shell would be shrewd to cut capacity by 20 percent to help ease overcapacity and improve margins, said Hirofumi Kawachi, a senior energy analyst at Mizuho Investors Securities Co.

“These expectation of improving refining margins prompted a buying spree of refiners’ shares,” Kawachi said by phone from Tokyo.

Nippon Oil gained 4 percent to 467 yen at the 11 a.m. morning trading break and Nippon Mining gained 4.3 percent to 435 yen, the two best performers on the MSCI AC Asia Pacific Energy Index. Idemitsu Kosan Co. climbed 5 percent, its biggest gain since Feb. 3, while the Nikkei 225 index rose 0.5 percent.

Showa Shell, which is 33 percent owned by Royal Dutch Shell Plc., advanced 1.6 percent to 697 yen. The shares have lost 17 percent in a year compared with a 17 percent rise in the benchmark Topix index.

Solar Business

“Showa Shell will perhaps restructure their oil-refining business quickly like Nippon Oil and Cosmo Oil Co.,” Kawachi said. “It’ll then shift its business to solar-panel manufacturing.”

The refiner will build a 100 billion yen ($1.1 billion) photovoltaic-panel factory in Miyazaki, southern Japan, with commercial production slated to begin in late 2011, it said in September. The move will expand the company’s capacity about 10- fold to benefit from domestic solar-panel demand, which rose to a record last year.

Showa Shell said in October it would post a 32 billion yen net loss for calendar 2009 following a 16.2 billion yen loss the previous year. The company is due to announce its earnings today at 3:00 p.m. in Tokyo. President Jun Arai will address reporters at 6:15 p.m.

Nippon Oil and Nippon Mining, set to merge in April, plan to shed 600,000 barrels a day, or about one-third of their combined capacity, by March 2015. Cosmo Oil, a Japanese refiner partly owned by the government of Abu Dhabi, will cut 13 percent of refining capacity, or 80,000 barrels a day, the company said this month.

Japan’s petroleum demand dropped 6.9 percent in 2009, outpacing the trade ministry’s projection of a 3.5 percent annual decline to March 2014.

[R-BgO]

U.S. and Europe offices, new worldwide name and brand for soon-to-be-former Showa Shell Solar
Showa Shell Solar K.K., a 100% subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. headquartered in Tokyo, have announced that it will open two overseas offices this April in Northern California and Munich, further building its global network to facilitate one gigawatt per year of sales and delivery of its proprietary CIS solar panels to customers worldwide.

The move will be accompanied by a global branding consolidation under a single name, Solar Frontier (the original name of its international sales subsidiary), and a new logo.

"We chose Solar Frontier as the name of our international division a few years ago because we knew we stood at the frontier of the photovoltaic industry in terms of research and development," said CEO Shigeaki Kameda. "With CIS solar technology, our PV modules today combine compelling economics, non-toxic materials, and lower energy consumption in production, increasingly higher efficiency, and greater potential for tomorrow. With this announcement we signal our commitment and capacity to set and supply the new global standard for photovoltaic panels into the future, starting with the European and North American office expansions."

Solar Frontier's Director of International Business, Brooks Herring, added, "Thanks to Solar Frontier's significant production capacity, which will reach gigawatt class with the opening of our 3rd plant in Miyazaki, Japan, in 2011 (the world's largest CIS production facility at 900MW) we can offer the full benefits of economy of scale to our customers. This is matched by the strong economics of panel performance we have developed through years of research, development, and testing in the field. Our panel development engineers understand that economics is the key driver of a panel's value, which depends on the combination of efficiency, durability, stability, temperature coefficient, degradation, and numerous other factors, whether you are a home owner, business, or utility. There is far more than a gigawatt of demand for the superior economics we can deliver."

"Our production, factory, and quality assurance engineers understand this as well," added Kameda. "Our gigawatt scale capacity is an engineering decision as well as an economic decision because this is what we can do today for maximum production efficiency and minimum energy payback time. Moreover, our panel efficiency will continue to climb toward the aperture area efficiency of 16.0% on a 30cm x 30cm module we achieved recently in our laboratories. While the aperture area efficiency of panels coming off of the assembly line today are at a competitive efficiency of around 13.0%, we expect to reach 14.2% when our third plant starts operating in 2011, and approach 15.0% by 2014."
Details on Solar Frontier name and Logo:
"Solar Frontier" expresses our commitment to leadership in the global PV market. We stand at the frontier with our proprietary CIS technology and its greater potential for improvement and innovation. It also expresses our vision of the future of energy, when human needs are abundantly met by the limitless power of the sun.


The new logo captures in the abstract the harmony of sun (orange), earth (blue), and the concept of frontier in the path (blue) toward sustainable development, with the curved lines also symbolizing the horizon.

Solar Frontier K.K., a 100% subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., manufactures and delivers the world's most ecological solar panels, offering superior economic benefits, on the world's largest scale.

Our proprietary CIS technology, denoting key ingredients Copper, Indium, and Selenium, combines compelling economics and energy conversion efficiency today-and greater potential for tomorrow- with superior reliability, stability, sustainability, non-toxicity, design, and lower overall energy consumption in the manufacturing process to yield a faster energy payback time.

Our newest plant in Miyazaki, Japan, scheduled to commence operations in 2011, will become the world's largest CIS production facility, at 900MW per year, and bring us to gigawatt class production levels, enabling us to meet worldwide demand for a new standard in affordable solar panel performance.
Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K.
Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. is listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange and has roots dating back more than 100 years in the downstream energy business.

for more visit http://www.showa-shell.co.jp/english/index.html .

For more attend Printed Electronics Europe 2010 .

[SLGramann]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 39.048.430 von R-BgO am 03.03.10 11:59:35

Hi R-BgO,

die meinen das wirklich richtig ernst.

Also: Die Fab kostet 1,22 Dollar / Watt Produktionskapazität. Weißt Du, wie sich das mit den CapEx bei FSLR vergleicht?

Wie rechnen sich 14,2% aperture area efficiency in einen normalen Wirkungsgrad um?

Eigentliche Frage: Wie schaut das ganze Projekt im Vergleich mit FSLR aus? Produktionskosten auf cash-cost-Niveau sind sicher höher, als bei First, oder? Aber wie hoch genau? Das dürfte wohl die größte Frage sein.

Und wirkt sich das auf c-Si aus, wenn hier die nächste TF-Technologie in den GW-Bereich kommt?
Immerhin sind CIS-Module optisch außerordentlich attraktiv. Nehmen wir an, die lassen sich für 1 Dollar / Watt herstellen - dann hätten sie locker ihren Markt. Selbst bei 1,50 Dollar (was vielleicht realistischer ist), dürfte es gut aussehen.

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 39.048.430 von R-BgO am 03.03.10 11:59:35

Japanese solar company Showa Shell Solar has announced a new investment in Germany. Along with the company's renaming to Solar Frontier, the CIS (copper-indium-selenium) photovoltaic module manufacturer will open its first European office in Munich in 2010. Germany Trade & Invest supported the company with its investment plans.

Aiming to ramp up production to reach a sales goal of 1 million kilowatts worldwide in 2012, the Munich office, alongside a new American counterpart in California, will play an integral role in achieving this mark. The company's production figures will increase by more than ten times its current level, strengthened by an additional plant that will begin production in mid-2011.

Solar Frontier CEO Shigeaki Kameda: "The German priority on both economic and ecological criteria precisely matches Solar Frontier's top design and production mandates. Germany is also the world's largest market, so we have three very critical reasons to invest here: the German priority on economy, the German priority on ecology, and the German market size. We therefore expect to fulfill very strong demand."

Solar Frontier's decision to invest in Germany also serves it well for access to growing photovoltaic markets across Europe. Germany is home to approximately half the solar modules in operation worldwide, based on recent industry estimates. This market continues to grow as 2009 installations exceeded expectations, likely surpassing 3.0 GW.

Germany is home to the largest solar cluster in the world that encompasses a wide range of manufacturers, suppliers, and research institutes. Together, these innovators create a synergy that has added photovoltaics to the long tradition of the "Made in Germany" label, a symbol for high quality and innovation.

Solar Frontier manufactures proprietary thin-film modules that substitute silicon with the key ingredients copper, indium, and selenium. The company benefits from competitive material prices compared to conventional silicon wafer-based modules. The thin-film modules are expected to reach a 14.2 percent efficiency level by 2011. Solar Frontier was assisted by Germany Trade & Invest and Invest in Bavaria, the economic development agency for the federal state of Bavaria. Germany Trade & Invest is currently showcasing the latest opportunities available in the world's largest solar market at this year's PV Expo (East Hall 4, Stand no. 26-22), taking place March 3 - 5 in Tokyo, Japan.

[R-BgO]

Showa Shell Solar Unveils 2nd-gen CIGS PV Panel

Mar 9, 2010 21:18
Tetsuo Nozawa, Nikkei Electronics


Showa Shell Solar Co Ltd exhibited its second-generation CIGS (CuIn-GaSe) photovoltaic (PV) panel at PV EXPO 2010, a trade show that took place from March 3 to 5, 2010, in Tokyo, Japan.

The PV panel was developed with a technology that will be introduced to the company's third plant being built in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan. And Showa Shell Solar showcased it under the name "Solar Frontier," to which the company will change its name to, April 1, 2010. The new panel measures 977 x 1,255mm.

"We use a new technology to realize a conversion efficiency of 16% with a cell measuring 30 x 30cm," the company said. "Panels made by using this technology will have a module conversion efficiency of 12.2% in 2011 and 13.0% in 2014 because of improvement in optical designs.

Showa Shell Solar is planning to build the fourth-generation plant though it has not yet decided any specific date or place. At the plant, the company will use its third-generation technology that realizes a cell conversion efficiency of 17% at the aperture area and a module conversion efficiency of 14.0%.

[Istanbul]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 39.050.102 von SLGramann am 03.03.10 15:00:18

Also: Die Fab kostet 1,22 Dollar / Watt Produktionskapazität. Weißt Du, wie sich das mit den CapEx bei FSLR vergleicht?

Abschätzung nach FS Earnings Call Q42009:

S.6
Annualized capacity per line 53.4 MW
Began construction of 8 new lines in Malaysia, to begin shipping 1H'11
S.14
Plant 5 & 6: 1,709 MW - 1,282 MW = 427 MW
S.38
Purchases of property, plant, equipment 500-550

Also grob und eher Obergrenze: 500 / 427 = ca. $1,20 /Wp

[Istanbul]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 39.102.303 von Istanbul am 10.03.10 11:39:36

Andere Annäherung, da #30 schließlich auch Ersatzinvestitionen beinhaltet und Stichtagsabgrenzungen:

Man nimmt die kummulierte CapEx (Purchases of property, plant, equipment) seit 2006 inkl. 2010 und teilt durch die Kapazität: 1.621 / 1.709 = $0.95 /Wp.

[SLGramann]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 39.102.663 von Istanbul am 10.03.10 12:14:26

Danke, da haben wir doch eine Marke. Sie sind also nicht weit weg von FSLR, trotz der wohl komplizierteren Technologie (Beschichtungsanlagen).
Entscheidend werden dann die cash-Kosten des Prozesses sein. Aber vielleicht sollte man es wirklich eher so sehen, dass sie c-Si das Wasser abgraben können. In Japan geht aufgrund neuer Förderbedingungen auf den privaten Hausdächern wieder ne ganze Menge, das ist oder wird dieses Jahr ein GW-Markt. Ausländer haben es in Japan eher schwer, so dass sie vor allem gegen Sharp usw. antreten. Deren Kostenniveau ist bei c-Si sicher relativ hoch. Außerdem haben sie den Ästhetik-Vorteil, den ich nicht unterschätzen würde.

Aus meiner Sicht sieht das alles ganz gut aus - wenn dann die Umsetzung klappt.

[R-BgO]

Showa Shell looks abroad to boost solar business
James Topham
TOKYO
Mon May 24, 2010 12:48am EDT

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Showa Shell Sekiyu (5002.T) is eyeing overseas solar cell markets and new energy businesses as it moves toward becoming a diversified energy firm to offset declining domestic oil demand, its president said.

Tumbling demand from a shrinking population and a shift toward greener energy in the world's third-largest oil consumer has led Japan's fifth-biggest refiner to streamline its refining operations and look to become a major player in alternative energy.

"The next frontier for us is the creation of new core businesses, like our solar enterprise, and to move Showa Shell from a being a domestically centered business into a global one," President Jun Arai said at the Reuters Global Energy Summit.

Uncharted areas are not new for Arai, who spent his first decade and half with Showa Shell working on various crude and gas exploration projects overseas.

Showa Shell is building its third solar cell facility in southern Japan, with investments seen around 100 billion yen ($1.1 billion), to boost its annual production capacity 12-fold to 980 megawatts when the factory comes onstream in 2011.

The company specializes in solar cells made using copper, indium, and selenium -- which are not as efficient at converting light into electricity as mainstream solar cells made from polysilicon -- but are cheaper, a point that will be key in the future.

"Demand for solar panels is increasing and we see a shake-out period occurring where manufacturers that are not cost competitive exit the field, increasing marketshare for the stronger panel makers that survive," the 51-year old Arai said.

Showa Shell, which is one-third owned by Royal Dutch Shell (RDSa.L) and nearly 15 percent owned by Saudi Aramco, aims to make its solar business earn half of its target core recurring profit of 100 billion yen and hopes to gain a 10 percent market share by 2014.

The company is considering building additional plants and Arai said it was likely future locations would be in Asia, Europe or the United States, adding nothing has been officially decided.

Arai said that any new plants that would be built overseas were likely to be either large such as its 900 megawatt No. 3 factory, or a plant that made specialized products.

A plant making specialized products could be similar in size to a project it entered into with state-run Saudi Aramco last year to study building facilities with a generating capacity of 1-2 megawatts to serve communities without access to power grids.

Up until now the oil firm has relied on corporate financing as it hunts for new revenue streams in alternative energy, but Arai said the firm would be open to partnerships if the right opportunity came along.

NO CHANGE IN KEIHIN PLANT CDU SHUTDOWN

Japan's oil product demand is projected to fall 4.2 percent in the year that began on April 1 from the previous business year, the government's energy committee said last month.

To offset the rapidly falling demand, Showa Shell will permanently shut the 120,000 barrel-per-day (bpd) crude distillation unit (CDU) at group refiner Toa Oil's Keihin refinery by September 2011, to cut overall refining capacity by nearly a quarter to 395,000 bpd.

Arai said he did not know when the CDU -- one of two at the Keihin refinery -- would actually be shut for good, but added that he did not expect any major changes from the scheduled date since the logistics of closing a unit will take time.

The firm also does not have any plans for now to cut refining capacity further.

Excess refining capacity, due to lower fuel demand caused by the global recession, and new refinery startups in the Middle East and Asia, had hit crude processing margins and profits at oil firms in developed nations such as Japan.

(Editing by Ramthan Hussain)

[R-BgO]

The Rise of CIGS – Finally?
by Ucilia Wang, Contributor
Published: 23. Juli 2010

If the rise of the solar energy market is written as a fantasy novel, then the makers of copper-indium-gallium-selenide (CIGS) are members of a mythical clan from far far away that are reputed to be fierce warriors who are gathering forces to reshape the geopolitics of the realm. But so far, this big army hasn't materialized.

But it’s marching closer to the battlefield. After years of research and development, along with unfulfilled promises, some makers of CIGS (or variations of the same ingredients) thin films seem to be finally getting ready. Solar Frontier, part of Showa Shell, is building a 900-MW factory in Japan, a manufacturing capacity that could turn the company into the most formidable CIGS competitor. The new factory, its third, would put the company’s total annual production capacity at 980 MW. Solar Frontier expects to start rolling out panels this fall and reach mass production by next spring, says Greg Ashley, the new chief operating officer for Solar Frontier’s American operations.

“You can’t do this unless you are a GW player,” Ashley said during an interview at Intersolar in San Francisco earlier this month. “Our No. 1 story is we have bankable product that is available when contractors need them.”

Meanwhile....

[R-BgO]

Solar Frontier Supplies Modules For Japanese PV Plant
in News Departments > Projects & Contracts
by SI Staff on Thursday 09 September 2010
print the content item Follow SolarIndustry On Twitter

Solar Frontier K.K., a 100% subsidiary of Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K., has signed a contract to supply thin-film solar cell modules on the scale of roughly 1 MW to the Tsuno No. 2 Power Plant, a power plant that Miyazaki Solar Way Co. Ltd. of the Kokusai Kogyo Group plans to start operating in 2011 in the town of Tsuno in Miyazaki Prefecture, Japan.

The modules will be delivered by the JFE Steel Corp. The construction of the Tsuno No. 2 Power Plant is being undertaken as one of Miyazaki Prefecture's Miyazaki Solar Frontier Vision initiatives and is part of the Miyazaki Solar Way Project, a joint project between Miyazaki Prefecture, the town of Tsuno and the Kokusai Kogyo Group to install solar panels along approximately 3.6 km of an overhead structure at the site of the Linear Motorcar Miyazaki Test Track.

[R-BgO]

Saturday, 18 Sep 2010


State run Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation bought Saudi Arab Extra Light crude for Japan's national reserves from Showa Shell Sekiyu via a tender.

Industry sources said that Jogmec which had sought 1.25 million barrels of Middle East light crude through the tender bought the 1.25 million barrels of the Saudi grade.

Jogmec, meanwhile did not award a tender for another 1.9 million barrels of ME light crude and rent a tank for it at the same time, industry sources said. There was no offer for the 1.9 million barrels. It could not be immediately reached for comment.

Japan is trying to replace medium and heavy crude in its national reserves with lighter crudes to reflect the growing share of light crudes in Japan's recent imports. Japan has sold 400,000 kiloliters of Khafji crude and 260,000 kiloliters of Kuwaiti crude from its national reserves since April and the trade ministry has said it was considering buying replacement crude.

Jogmec issued a tender on September 1 seeking 1.25 million barrels of Middle East light crude with delivery to the Shibushi national oil reserves in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan between December 1 and 20. It had also sought another 1.9 million barrels of crude to be delivered between November 21 and December 20 and rent a tank for it until March 31st 2011.

[R-BgO]

http://www.electroiq.com/index/display/photovoltaics-article…

[R-BgO]

Wednesday, October 13, 2010
GE Teams With Showa Shell Unit In Solar Power

NEW YORK (Nikkei)--General Electric Co. said Tuesday that it has agreed with a subsidiary of major Japanese energy company Showa Shell Sekiyu KK (5002) to tie up in the solar power system business.

The agreement is expected to lead to GE acquiring solar cells from Solar Frontier KK, a wholly owned Showa Shell unit, and jointly commercializing low-cost, high-efficiency solar power systems. The two firms aim to pitch their products mainly to major solar power projects in the U.S., Europe and emerging countries.

Showa Shell operates a solar facility at the site of a former refinery.

Unlike conventional solar cells based on silicon, Solar Frontier's copper-indium-selenium solar cells are immune to surging silicon prices. The company is due to lift its output capacity to roughly 1 million kilowatts a year from the current 80,000kw by launching a new plant in Miyazaki Prefecture in the middle of next year. With 70% of the new plant's output slated for export, Solar Frontier has been looking to bolster overseas sales.

GE has been expanding its solar power system business, along with its wind and other renewable energy operations.

(The Nikkei Oct. 13 morning edition)

[R-BgO]

TOKYO, Oct 19 (Reuters) - Solar Frontier, a wholly-owned unit of Japan's Showa Shell Sekiyu, said on Tuesday it would announce at 4 p.m. (0700 GMT) an agreement with IBM to co-develop solar cells using a copper zinc tin sulphur selenide (CZTS) material.

[R-BgO]

Solar Frontier to Supply 10 MW of CIS Modules for Saudi Aramco


Published 28 October 2010

Solar Frontier K.K. announced today that it will supply Saudi Aramco with 10 megawatts of its proprietary cadmium- and lead-free thin film CIS solar modules for a car park installation to power the North Park office complex in Dhahran. The installation will become one of the largest photovoltaic covered parking lots in the world, at 16-18 hectares, when completed by the end of 2011.

"Solar Frontier’s panels are proven to deliver reliable and affordable performance, providing efficient and stable power output in even the toughest conditions, and this partnership with Saudi Aramco shows a continuing commitment to supply our high-performance CIS solar modules to projects in demanding desert conditions across the Middle East," said Atsuhiko Hirano, Senior Vice President, Solar Frontier. "We are pleased to be able to provide a stable supply of affordable high-performance solar modules. This installation at North Park will enable us to monitor the performance of our CIS modules in a desert environment, giving us invaluable knowledge to leverage for future projects in Saudi Arabia, the Middle East, and regions with similar environments around the world."

Saudi Arabia receives 7kWh of energy per square meter in 12 hours of daylight, significantly more than the amount of sun that hits a "sunny" country like Spain, making the Kingdom an ideal country for solar power projects to supply domestic and retail demands.

Faisal Habiballah, head of Saudi Aramco's Solar Project Team, said that: "Although the overall intent is to conserve energy, the downstream effects of the solar projects are significant. Installing solar panels on car-park roofs is a well-proven energy saving model, and covered parking was always part of the plan for North Park — so why not use solar panels?"

Saudi Aramco's North Park parking area is the first full-scale site in the Kingdom selected to install Solar Frontier’s CIS panels. The panels will cover the complex’s 4,450 parking spaces, an area of 16-18 hectares, and will have a capacity of 10 megawatts, providing all the building’s daytime power needs. Ten megawatts is equivalent to the output needed to power 6,000 residential homes.

[R-BgO]

World's biggest CIS module plant

Solar Frontier begins production at the largest CIS solar module plant


Solar Frontier announced today that it has started commercial production on schedule at its gigawatt-scale Kunitomi factory, the world’s largest CIS thin-film solar module production plant, located in Miyazaki, Japan. Launched only 16 months after breaking ground in September, 2009, the new factory will approach full capacity this summer.

“The Kunitomi plant’s manufacturing processes involve some of the most advanced production automation in the industry, as we aim to ensure the highest quality and reliability,” said Hiroshi Yoshida, Vice President, Manufacturing at Solar Frontier. “The panels manufactured at the Kunitomi plant will have higher output and be larger than ever before, too, saving significantly on the BOS costs of installed systems.”

Products manufactured at the Kunitomi plant have now obtained certifications on performance and safety issued by Japanese and European standards organizations, and U.S. certifications are expected soon, as the factory begins shipping worldwide.

Shigeaki Kameda, CEO of Solar Frontier commented that, “The scale of our automation will provide unprecedented manufacturing efficiency. With the plant running at full capacity, we will become very competitive worldwide. Based in Germany, the United States and Japan, Solar Frontier’s expanding sales network and significant partnerships with global players will enable us to deliver economical and ecological next-generation CIS solar energy solutions to customers everywhere.”

[SLGramann]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 41.799.889 von R-BgO am 17.07.11 11:00:50

Hi R-BgO, weißt Du etwas über die aktuellen Gestehungskosten dort?

Ich denke, dass CIGS-Module einen Premiumpreis erzielen können - zumindest im Privatkundenbereich. Ästhetik ist da ein Wert.

Fand Showa schon immer interessant...

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 41.800.479 von SLGramann am 17.07.11 16:23:41

nö ,weiß leider nix...

[R-BgO]

01.17.2012
Santa Clara, California United States
Solar Frontier and enXco, an EDF Energies Nouvelles Company, have signed a module supply agreement for up to 150 megawatts peak (MWp) of Solar Frontier’s CIS solar modules. A firm order for 26 MWp was completed and delivered in the last quarter of 2011 for the Catalina Solar Project located in Kern County, California. When completed, the project is set to become the world’s largest CI(G)S installation and will rank among the largest solar installations of any type globally.

The plant will be built in two phases – the first phase of approximately 60 MWp is targeted to go online by the end of 2012 and the remainder of the project by June 2013.

“This is a landmark moment not only for Solar Frontier but the CI(G)S industry as a whole,” said Gregory W. Ashley, chief operating officer of Solar Frontier Americas. “We have demonstrated successfully that the unique characteristics of CIS technology are compelling to major customers by delivering more KWh over the lifetime of a project for a lower cost. We see this project as a launch pad for ever greater CIS achievement in the United States and across the world. We are pleased to work with enXco, which has shown its commitment to the industry by continuing to develop and build utility-scale solar projects.”

“We are excited to deploy Solar Frontier’s thin film technology,” said Kristina Peterson, Vice President, Solar Business Unit for enXco. “With its gigawatt-scale production capacity, and favorable energy production profile, Solar Frontier and its parent company Showa Shell Sekiyu, have positioned themselves through a long and proven development process to be able to meet the supply expectations required for such large utility-scale projects.”

[R-BgO]

Habe mal ein bisschen aufgestockt, da von der Substanz her inzwischen sehr billig.

CIGS wächst massiv, ist zwar bisher verlustreich aber vielleicht profitiert man vom heimischen FiT.

[R-BgO]

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/solar_frontier_to_suspend_produc…

[Sihdi]

Weshalb dieser starke Anstieg, Weiß jemand etwas Genaueres.

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 43.589.048 von R-BgO am 11.09.12 09:32:27

scheint so gekommen zu sein: http://www.showa-shell.co.jp/english/ir/material/material_20…


Seiten 8 & 10

[R-BgO]

inzwischen verdienen sie mit CIGS richtig Geld: http://www.showa-shell.co.jp/english/ir/material/material_20…

[R-BgO]

aufgestockt

[R-BgO]

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/solar_frontier_posts_first_annua…

[R-BgO]

Frontier Solar soll abgespalten werden

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/solar_frontier_reports_q2_result…

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 48.024.901 von R-BgO am 13.10.14 21:24:26

das war ein Irrtum, nur interne Auslagerung;


Zahlen kamen vergangene Woche, inventory revaluation charge führt zu Nettoverlust;

allerdings ist der PV-Teil nur noch halb so profitabel wie 2013


da mich ein Refiner mit commodity-Preisrisiko nicht so anmacht, habe ich trotz relativ günstiger Substanz erstmal bis auf ein Erinnerungsstück verkauft

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 49.120.145 von R-BgO am 19.02.15 17:46:13

nach Verlusten in 2014 und 2015

wollen sie dieses Jahr mal wieder Geld verdienen;

das PV-Business produziert rund 1 GW p.a. und ist rot break-even

[R-BgO]

Solar Frontier starts production at ‘advanced’ 150MW facility

By John Parnell Jun 01, 2016 11:23 AM BST 0

Thin-film manufacturer Solar Frontier has begun commercial production at its new 150MW plant in Tohoku.

The facility will cut one third off the cost of its modules, on track with the company’s stated goal for the plant when it was announced in 2014. According to Solar Frontier, the “advanced” manufacturing plant can produce its CIS modules for two-thirds of the cost, with two-thirds of the manpower and in one third of the time, when compared to its flagship 900MW Kunitomi plant.

It is looking to push the output of modules from the plant past 180W. The first products from the new facility will go on sale in Japan this summer.

Revisions to the frame and junction box of the Tohoku modules have also been made in an effort to improve installations. A central busbar has also been added to improve performance in the presence of shadows.

[R-BgO]

http://www.pv-tech.org/news/solar-frontier-in-talks-over-cis…

[R-BgO]

aus der Präsentation zu den 2016er Zahlen:

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 54.565.782 von R-BgO am 19.03.17 14:44:25

schätze, sie werden irgendwann dichtmachen:

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 56.369.992 von R-BgO am 05.12.17 22:17:43

obwohl:

https://www.pv-tech.org/news/solar-frontier-breaks-thin-film…

[R-BgO]

dieses Jahr boomt das Ölgeschäft

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 58.843.536 von R-BgO am 01.10.18 16:27:09

snatch-away:

[R-BgO]

Antwort auf Beitrag Nr.: 60.253.440 von R-BgO am 02.04.19 10:38:37

Thread: Idemitsu Kosan