BERLIN, June 29 /Xinhua-PRNewswire/ -- The European Commission Directorate General (DG) for Competition recently announced that AVANCIS, a joint venture between Shell and Saint-Gobain, can receive a tax allowance and a direct grant from the Federal State of Saxony.
AVANCIS will erect a new facility for the production of photovoltaic modules in the town of Torgau in Saxony. The production process is based on advanced CIS technology as developed at the AVANCIS R&D centre in Munich. CIS modules contain very thin layers of copper, indium and selenium to convert sunlight directly into electricity. The annual capacity of the plant will initially be 20 megawatts peak (MWp), with a scope for rapid expansion.
AVANCIS combines Shell CIS technology expertise, aided by eight years of commercial manufacturing at the Camarillo plant in California, with Saint-Gobain's knowledge in glass processing and production of building materials. AVANCIS CIS modules will be available from 2008 onwards.
Invest in Germany advised the project partners from the early stage of the process. Germany's federal investment promotion agency provided assistance not only in navigating the possibilities for investment incentives at different governmental levels, but also in finding potential partners such as consultancy firms.
Ulrike Handtke, Head of the Department Project Services at Invest in Germany, whose team handles questions pertaining to financing, noted that the decision of AVANCIS to build in eastern Germany shows that incentives are one of many significant factors that work in the investor's favor in eastern Germany:
"Getting this financing was one of the key elements in the investment decision of AVANCIS. With the current decision of DG Competition, AVANCIS can take advantage of the moderate wage costs, stellar infrastructure, and highly qualified workers that make Germany an outstanding investment location."
Invest in Germany is the official investment promotion agency of Germany. Its mandate is to assist and advise international companies about investment opportunities in Germany. Invest in Germany provides comprehensive support from site selection to the implementation of investment decisions.
