Sharp to Boost Solar Cell, LCD Output
dailynews.yahoo.com
Thursday January 3 8:16 PM ET
TOKYO (Reuters) - Sharp Corp, the world's largest photovoltaic cell maker, said on Friday it plans to boost annual output of solar cells by 50 percent this year and bolster its status as Japan's biggest liquid crystal display maker.
The company said it would add a new solar cell facility at its Nara plant in western Japan some time this year, after which it sees output exceeding 150 megawatts.
Sharp raised its solar cell output capacity to 94 megawatts last May to outdistance rivals such as Kyocera Corp (6971.T). Output now exceeds capacity at 100, a Sharp spokesman said.
``We will adjust production depending on demand, which we hope will rise because we have been aggressively marketing our solar cells for home use,'' a spokesman at Sharp said.
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun said on Friday the renewed annual output schedule will be enough to power 37,500 households. Some of the power will be exported to Europe and the United States, it said.
Sharp said last month it expects industry-wide solar cell output to soar at an annual rate of 40 to 50 percent over the next several years, with Japan accounting for over 50 percent of global production by 2003.
As for its liquid crystal display (LCD) division, the company said it plans to invest up to 100 billion yen ($759 million) some time next business year for a new plant possibly in Mie prefecture of central Japan.
Sharp said in September it plans to boost production of next-generation continuous grain silicon displays at a new plant.
Shares in Sharp were up 3.78 percent at 1,591 yen, outperforming a 1.89 percent rise in the main Nikkei average.
Kyocera's shares were up 4.68 percent at 8,950 yen, in line with other chip issues. |
