EANS-News: centrotherm photovoltaics presents next generation of high-performance reactors and converters for silicon production

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Subtitle: • Higher output and energy-savings enable lower production costs
• More than 25 units of reactors and converters already sold

Blaubeuren (euro adhoc) - September 6, 2010 - centrotherm photovoltaics AG is
presenting the next generation of silicon production equipment with its new 24
Pair CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) reactor and associated high-pressure
converter.

The 24 Pair technology is a proprietary development by centrotherm SiTec GmbH,
a company in which centrotherm photovoltaics bundles its silicon expertise.
This technology is distinguished by significantly higher annual output of more
than 350 tonnes, and lower energy consumption of less than 60 kWh per kilogram.
Maintenance costs and downtime risks are also reduced thanks to the high degree
of production automation. This allows both specific investment costs and
operating costs to be sustainably cut.

More than 25 units consisting of reactors and converters have already been sold
from this new equipment generation. The first systems will be shipped in April
of next year. Confidentiality was agreed about the investment sums concerned.

"With the 24 Pair technology, we are enabling our customers to achieve high-
volume silicon production at constant quality accompanied by reduced
manufacturing costs", explains Dr. Albrecht Mozer, Managing Director of
centrotherm SiTec. "We are convinced of our technology's performance, which is
why we are also guaranteeing that our reactors offer a production capacity of
350 tonnes per year, and that our high-pressure converters offer a gas
throughput rate of 18 tonnes per hour, and a conversion rate of more than
19 percent."

The CVD reactors form part of key silicon production equipment, and
consequently rank as part of the core product offerings of the centrotherm
photovoltaics Group's silicon specialist. Along with the CVD reactor, full
silicon production also requires a high-performing converter, however. STC-TCS
converters transform silicon tetrachloride (STC) into trichlorosilane (TCS),
thereby enabling the process gases to be fed back into the CVD reactor. This
closed production cycle reduces manufacturing costs and environmental effects -
and enables more efficient production. In order to optimally exploit the new
high-performance reactor's potential, centrotherm SiTec has also further
developed the related high-pressure STC-TCS converter: With the currently
highest gas throughput rate in the market, and the highest conversion rate, it
is optimally coordinated to the capacity enhancement offered by the 24 Pair CVD
reactor.

centrotherm photovoltaics at the 25th European Photovoltaic Solar Energy
Conference and Exhibition (EU PVSEC: September 6-9, 2010, in Valencia):
Feria Valencia, Hall 4, Booth D 13

About centrotherm photovoltaics AG
centrotherm photovoltaics AG, which is based at Blaubeuren, is one of the
world's leading technology and equipment providers for the photovoltaics
sector. The company equips well-known solar companies and new sector entrants
with turnkey production lines and single equipment to manufacture silicon,
crystalline solar cells and thin film modules. As a consequence, the Group
possesses a broad and well-founded technological basis, as well as key
equipment at practically all steps of the photovoltaics value chain.
centrotherm photovoltaics guarantees its customers important performance
parameters such as production capacity, efficiencies, and completion deadlines.
The Group employs over 1,300 staff members, and operates in Europe, Asia and
the USA. In the 2009 financial year, centrotherm photovoltaics achieved revenue
of EUR 509.1 million, and EBIT of EUR 37.2 million. The company is listed in
the TecDax of the Frankfurt Securities Exchange.

Contact:
Saskia Feil
Senior Manager Investor & Public Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8890
E-mail: [email protected]

Dr. Torsten Knödler
Manager Public Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8898
E-mail: [email protected]

Christina Siebels, Britta Cirkel
HOSCHKE & CONSORTEN Public Relations GmbH
Tel: +49 40 3690 50-58 /-56,
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

Further inquiry note:
Dr. Torsten Knödler
Manager Public Relations
Tel.: 07344 - 918-8898
E-Mail: [email protected]
end of announcement euro adhoc
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issuer: centrotherm photovoltaics AG
Johannes-Schmid-Str. 8
D-89143 Blaubeuren
phone: +49 (0) 7344 91880
mail: [email protected]
WWW: http://www.centrotherm.de
sector: Energy
ISIN: DE000A0JMMN2
indexes: TecDAX
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Frankfurt, free trade: Berlin,
Hamburg, Stuttgart, Düsseldorf, München
language: English

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