JA Solar opens 400MW solar cell production facility in Malaysia

JA Solar, a solar power products maker, has opened a 400MW solar cell production facility in Penang, Malaysia with an investment of MYR300m ($70.9m).

The facility has created around 700 jobs.

Situated in the Penang Bayan Lepas Industrial Park, the facility will manufacture multi-crystalline high efficiency solar cells.

The solar cells will be used in PV power generation.

JA Solar chairman and CEO Baofang Jin said: "We are pleased to launch our manufacturing plant in Malaysia, as the country offers many attractive benefits including an investment-friendly and supportive business environment.

"Penang’s strategic location in Southeast Asia, its accessibility to airports and seaports, and the availability of reliable infrastructure are advantageous for our additional manufacturing capacity as we continue to explore new export markets."

The facility can be expanded with more production capacity in order to meet growing demand for solar cells.

This is the company’s first manufacturing facility outside of China. It is claimed to be fully compliant with all local regulation and has received all requisite business, manufacturing and environmental licenses and approvals from government authorities, which include the Malaysian Investment Development Authority and the Department of Environment.

"We will continue to work with the relevant federal and state government agencies to ensure continued compliance with all rules and regulations," Jin added.

This August, the firm rolled out 60-cell double-glass modules, which are encapsulated using 2.5mm thick high strength tempered glass on both sides with a frameless design.

The double-glass modules, designed based on IEC standard, can withstand extreme environments of high-temperature, highhumidity, windy, salty, or arid conditions.