Ergon Solair LLP and Georgia New Energy Ltd entered an agreement for the implementation of Georgia PV Project, an industrial photovoltaic project based on a philosophy of high technical quality, low cost manufacturing and low cost installations; plug&play solar.
The production is targeted towards markets of the Black Sea region, Mediterranean countries and the United States. Local solar parks are planned with total power > 1.5GWp, both with standard crystalline and III V technology. The Georgia PV Fab will be the first PV production facility in the caucasian region; it will be located in the industrial area of Rustavi on an area of 250 hectares of land that has already been selected. The factory at completion of first construction cycle will cover 10,000 square meters with an adjacent 100MW solar park and testing site for field tests. General management offices are under completion in central Rustavi. Pre-arrangements for financing of phase 1, with initial capacity 100MW, have already been made by Georgia New Energy with US lenders. Ground breaking is programmed for mid 2012.
Georgia New Energy and Ergon Solair jointly met with Georgian officials of the Ministry of Economics and Sustainable Development whom assured to support the project.
The agreement has assigned to Georgia New Energy the management of the production facility, installation labor and in general all local management; Ergon Solair is awarded to be exclusive supplier of all the machinery, materials, components, general contracting and expertise for production and installations.
Physics and engineers will guarantee technical expertise, R&D, production design and management, know how, quality control, installation engineering and global marketing. Ergon Solair’s Italian affiliate, Ergon Solair Italia Srl, will coordinate the team of experts, handle global marketing and public relations.
The Georgia PV Fab 1 first output is expected in H2 2013. Production capacity is programmed to surpass 300MW yearly of manufactured modules at completion of first construction cycle 2014 (Phase 1~3). Further increase of capacity in second and third construction cycle are expected with final output programmed at > 1GW yearly, such capacity increase will be determined after first cycle construction is completed.
Lorenzo Colacicchi, of Ergon Solair commented : “We are very happy to have entered this agreement with Georgia New Energy Ltd and to support the growth of green economy in Georgia, a nation that has put sustainable development, hi-technology and upper level education of its youth amongst its key priorities. We believe that a new generation of PV production facilities with innovative technology and organizational approaches are necessary today to meet the cost competitive requirements of grid parity. Our goal is to make Georgia PV a global leader amongst new generation photovoltaic manufacturing facilities”.
Paata Tektumanashvili, of Georgia New Energy Ltd. commented : “We look forward to developing together with Ergon Solair and their international partners, the Georgian PV industry and solar parks, thus creating green jobs and stimulating the sustainable growth of our nation, bringing it to be a key player of the renewable energy global market.Georgia is a is an ancient crossroad of heritage’s and Georgians are very proud to have invested highly on an international level education of our youth. Georgia thus represents, for many reasons, a strategic location for the development of industrial and technological cooperations between western and eastern worlds”.
