centrotherm photovoltaics extends silicon production: Acquisition of Michael Glatt Maschinenbau

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Blaubeuren (euro adhoc) - Blaubeuren, November 14, 2008 - centrotherm
photovoltaics AG is acquiring Michael Glatt Maschinenbau GmbH, which is based in
Abensberg, Bavaria. The company has established itself as a market leader for
pressure containers and apparatus for the chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and
biotechnology industries, among other industrial sectors, and currently employs
a workforce of 80 members of staff. The company's particular strength lies in
its many years of experience in building chlorosilane containers, and in welding
technology. These containers are capable of withstanding particular stress, such
as extremely high or low pressures and temperatures, and thus are also be used
to produce solar silicon. Büechl Handels- und Beteiligungs KG, Regensburg, has
been the owner of the company to date. Michael Glatt Maschinenbau generated
sales of around EUR 13 million last year. The agreed purchase price for the
company amounts to a single digit figure in millions of euros.

As a leading provider of technology, equipment, and services for the manufacture
of solar silicon, solar cells, and thin-film modules, centrotherm photovoltaics
strives for covering the entire production process from silicon production
through to solar cells under one roof. The acquisition of Michael Glatt
Maschinenbau forms part of the company's strategy of growing along the
value-creation chain, expanding capacities, and continuously optimizing
production standards through the use of new technologies. centrotherm
photovoltaics is regarding the solar silicon area to which this acquisition
belongs as a growth area.

"The integration of Michael Glatt Maschinenbau allows us to supplement our range
of services in the solar silicon area to include specialty technology for
pressure-container building for reactors, converters, and other key components
for silicon manufacturing. We are also securing production capacities and
know-how for technical developments in this area," commented Dr. Albrecht Mozer,
CEO and CTO of centrotherm SiTec GmbH. "It allows us to achieve a greater
vertical range of manufacturing while extending our value-creation chain at the
same time." centrotherm photovoltaics concentrates the silicon expertise in the
100% subsidiary centrotherm SiTec, founded in October 2008.
The company is planning to use the new production capacities to increasingly
implement new reactor and converter developments in-house in the future, and to
produce additional parts of silicon equipment at the Abensberg location.

About centrotherm photovoltaics AG
centrotherm photovoltaics AG, which is based at Blaubeuren, is one of the
world's leading technology and service-providers for the manufacturing of solar
cells and solar silicon. The broad product spectrum comprises key equipment and
turnkey production lines for crystalline and thin-film solar cells. The product
range is supplemented by reactors and converters for the manufacturing of solar
silicon. centrotherm photovoltaics guarantees its customers important
performance parameters such as production capacity, degree of efficacy, and
completion deadlines for turnkey lines. Including the recent acquisition of
centrotherm Thermal solutions, centrotherm photovoltaics currently employs about
900 staff members at its locations in Blaubeuren, Burghausen, Constance and
Dresden. The company operates globally in Europe, Asia and the USA. In the
financial year 2007 centrotherm photovoltaics achieved revenue of EUR 166.2
million, EBIT of EUR 21.1 million, and is listed in the TecDax of the Frankfurt
Stock Exchange.

Further inquiry note:
Company contact:
Saskia Schultz-Ebert
Senior Manager Investor Relations
Tel: +49 7344 918-8890
E-mail: [email protected]

Press contact:
Christina Siebels, Grit Pauli
HOSCHKE & CONSORTEN Public Relations GmbH
Tel: +49 40 3690 50-58 /-31
E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]

end of announcement euro adhoc
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emitter: centrotherm photovoltaics AG
Johannes-Schmid-Str. 8
D-89143 Blaubeuren
phone: +49 (0) 7344 91860
mail: [email protected]
WWW: http://www.centrotherm-pv.de
sector: Energy
ISIN: DE000A0JMMN2
indexes:
stockmarkets: regulated dealing/prime standard: Börse Frankfurt
language: English

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