Lopez unit to put up $76-M wafer plant

First Philec Solar Corp. (FPSC), a unit under the Lopez Group of Companies, has entered into a joint venture with American firm SunPower Manufacturing Ltd. for the establishment of a $76-million wafer-slicing plant at the First Philippine Industrial Park.

The inauguration was held yesterday and were led by Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes and Oscar M. Lopez, chairman and CEO of First Philippine Holdings Corp. (First Holdings).

FPSC is an 80-20 joint venture between First Philippine Electric Corp. (First Philec) and SunPower Manufacturing Ltd. formed to provide wafer-slicing services for the solar energy industry.

FPSC is the holding company for the manufacturing businesses of the Lopez-controlled First Philippine Holdings while SunPower designs, manufactures and delivers the highest efficiency solar electric technology in the world.

The partnership represents the first large-scale silicon wafer-slicing company in the Philippines envisioned with 100 multi-wire saws producing 240 million wafers annually to support approximately 720 megawatts of solar energy.

FPSC president Danilo C. Lachica said they are optimistic this project will boost the use of renewable sources of energy in the country.

“FPSC is the pioneer in the country for large-scale wafer slicing. We are competing with companies providing wafer-slicing services in China, Japan and Germany, so we aim to be truly world-class,” he said.

“Currently, our wafers are all exported, but we hope that the solar energy industry in the country will soon develop so that our wafers will be in photovoltaic panels installed in Philippine homes,” he added.