Sama Jaya solar wafer

Plant to make blank silicon wafers for photovoltaic industry to make solar panels

KUCHING: MEMC Electronic Materials INC (MEMC) will be setting a Solar wafer manufacturing plant at Sama Jaya Free Industrial Zone, here with an investment to the tune of RM10 million.

SOLAR PROJECT: (From left) Sng, Dr Chan and Loddo at the project launch.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr George Chan said the facility would be operational by 2011.

“This is to cater for the popular demand of solar cells around the globe,” said Dr Chan.

In general, MEMC solar wafer plant will manufacture blank silicon wafers that can be sold and used by the photovoltaic manufacturing industry to make solar panels.

Sarawak was selected as the investment location because Sarawak has the competitive advantages, political stability, conducive living environment, young and trainable workforce apart from good basic infrastructures, said Dr Chan who is Industrial Development Minister.

The project would benefit the state by generating 4,000 employment opportunities here.

“MEMC will employ 600 staff in the initial phase of the project. But the number will grow from time to time,” he said.

Dr Chan also said that the selection of Sama Jaya could attract other similar wafer slicing and crystal projects into Malaysia, particularly the state.

There will also be other kind of support services, he said.

“This will kick off the development of a new cluster of high value-adding and high technology crystal growing, wafer slicing and wafer polishing industries in Malaysia.”

Dr Chan said in general, MEMC project would augur well with the chief minister’s vision of attracting more trigger projects and foreign investments into Sarawak.

“This is in tandem with our efforts of developing Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE) as the main hub for energy-intensive industries, while making Kuching the high-technology centre for downstream industries.

“The solar project signifies efforts to reduce our carbon footprint. Solar industry has the potential to create spin-off benefits for the state’s economy,” he said.

The economic growth would be helped through the production of high-value innovative products, the introduction of new and advanced solar technologies and the creation of potential downstream industries in lighting, green buildings, home applications and solar heating among other things.

MEMC from the United States of America (USA) is involved in the manufacturing of silicon wafers for the semi-conductor and solar industries.

In 1959, MEMC was the first merchant manufacturer of silicon wafers.

It has been a pioneer in the design and development of wafer technologies for the past 50 years and operates facilities in the United States, Europe and Asia Pacific.

It operates nine manufacturing facilities in every key semiconductor region in the world, including the United States, Europe, Malaysia, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan.

Its common stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol ‘WFR’ and is included in the S&P 500 index.

MEMC holds hundreds of worldwide patents on silicon products and processes and has hundreds more pending.

In 2008, after the second year of manufacturing solar wafer, MEMC sales of wafers and related products exceeded USD1 billion (around RM3.5 billion).

Dr Chan said today, MEMC is a global leader in the manufacture and sale of wafers and related intermediate products to both the semiconductor and solar industries. It continues to remain at forefront of technology innovation with advanced manufacturing capabilities around the world.

Assistant Minister of Industrial Development (Planning) Larry Sng; vice president of Solar Wafer Manufacturing Brian Wuebbles and Malaysia Solar Project Executive Claudio Loddo were also present at the press conference.